Official of USPA and director of a company in Odesa region are suspected of overstating the cost of works

Detectives of the Territorial Department of the Bureau of Economic Security in Odesa region have served a notice of suspicion to the management of a construction company and a responsible official of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority as part of a pre-trial investigation into the misappropriation of funds of a state-owned enterprise.

According to the BES press service, the investigation found that the company, which is the main contractor for USPA in the south and specializes in current and overhaul repairs of port infrastructure, including hydraulic structures, entered into a contract with the state-owned enterprise to repair a berth in one of the ports of Greater Odesa.

"After the reconstruction of the berth, the contractor submitted for signature the acts of work performed, in which he entered false information about the cost of materials used during the repair, which was several times higher than the market price. In turn, officials of the state-owned enterprise, having colluded with the contractor, signed them. Such actions led to the misappropriation of funds of the state enterprise in the amount of more than UAH 2.2 million," said Serhii Muntyan, Head of the BES in Odesa region.

Currently, the director of the construction company has been served a notice of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misappropriation, embezzlement or seizure of property through abuse of office), Part 4 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (forgery of documents, seals, stamps and forms, sale or use of forged documents, seals, stamps), Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (forgery in office), to the founder of the enterprise under Article 27(3), Article 191(5) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misappropriation, embezzlement or acquisition of property through abuse of office), as well as to an official of a state enterprise under Article 27(5), Article 191(5) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misappropriation, embezzlement or acquisition of property through abuse of office).

As previously reported by journalist Iryna Hryb, this is the Black Sea port.

Кирило Бойко