Odesa Official Investigated for Inflated Prices in Procurement Scandal

In Odesa, an official of a municipal institution purchased anti-parking bollards at inflated prices. The case is being investigated by the police.

According to the publication "Anti-Corruption Dimension," it is the head of the public procurement department of the CMEP Yevhenia Bereza.

The investigation found that on November 30, 2022, the official, on behalf of the institution, announced an open tender for the purchase of 300 anti-parking bollards worth UAH 1 million. However, only one entrepreneur, individual entrepreneur Vitaliy Nikolayev, participated in the tender and offered to supply the bollards for UAH 996,000, i.e. UAH 3,320 per unit excluding VAT.

Law enforcement officers found out that the real market price of such bollards at the time of the contract was only UAH 1,231 per unit. Thus, the difference in price resulted in an overpayment of over UAH 626 thousand.

The head of the procurement department of CMEP was suspected of official negligence that caused grave consequences. She received a notice of suspicion on January 31, 2024.

The court imposed a measure of restraint on the official in the form of a personal commitment until March 31. She is obliged to appear at the investigators' calls, not to leave the Odesa region without permission and to report any change of residence.

In addition, the Odesa Police Investigation Department has opened a criminal investigation into possible violations during the procurement of LED lights for the Odesmisksvitlo utility company.

In addition, an official of the city council will be tried in Odesa, who caused large losses to the city budget due to her negligence. She signed a contract for the purchase of 17 gasoline generators for the shelters of educational institutions in Khadzhibey district. The total value of the contract was over UAH 3.2 million. The official did not conduct the necessary market analysis, so the generators were purchased at a significantly inflated price. As a result, more than UAH 1.3 million was unjustifiably spent from the budget.

Ірина Глухова