Officials to be tried in Odesa for embezzlement on humanitarian generators

In Odesa, law enforcement officers brought a case against officials of a utility company to court. According to the investigation, they misappropriated humanitarian power generators worth more than UAH 2.2 million.

This was reported by the press service of the National Police in Odesa region.

According to the investigation, the generators were intended for the community, but the head of the company and his two subordinates used them to serve individuals and businesses, including restaurants, cafes, car washes, and private homes.

According to senior investigator Yana Hnatiuk, in early 2022, the acting director of the Odesa Electrical Maintenance and Installation Enterprise created a commission to coordinate the receipt of humanitarian aid, appointing the chief engineer as the financially responsible person and a mechanic as a member of the commission. In December of the same year, the company received generators from Germany and Kherson region, but they were not transferred for the needs of the community, but were used for private use.

During the investigation, police seized the equipment as material evidence. The defendants were served a notice of suspicion under Articles 191, parts 4 and 5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - embezzlement and aiding and abetting embezzlement of another's property by an official in a particularly large scale during martial law. The court imposed on the suspects custody, house arrest and bail as a measure of restraint.

The indictment along with the criminal case file has now been sent to court. The defendants face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property and a ban on holding certain positions or engaging in activities for up to three years. The public prosecution in the case will be supported by the Prymorskyi District Prosecutor's Office of Odesa.

In 2024, law enforcement officers opened a criminal investigation and conducted searches at the Department of Municipal Economy and the Odesa Electricity Maintenance and Installation Enterprise. Investigators found generators received by the city as humanitarian aid at a car wash, a restaurant, and in the private homes of city hall officials. According to journalists, former Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov may be involved in this case.

Анна Бальчінос