Mykolaiv Elektrotrans has filed a lawsuit challenging the demand to return 196 million

The municipal enterprise "Mykolaivelectrotrans" is challenging in court a demand by the State Audit Service to return more than 196 million hryvnias that the company may have received in excess from the city budget for passenger transportation.

The company’s director, Yuriy Smetana, announced this during a session of the Mykolaiv City Council.

The Mykolaiv District Administrative Court has opened proceedings on a lawsuit filed by the Southern Office of the State Audit Service against “Mykolaivelektrotrans.” The auditors are demanding that over 196 million hryvnias be recovered from the company.

According to the investigation, the case involves possible official negligence on the part of company officials, which may have led to the misappropriation of 196.8 million hryvnias in budget funds during the reimbursement of tram and trolleybus transportation costs.

Yuriy Smetana stated that the company disagrees with the State Audit Service’s findings and is challenging its demands in court.

“This is not compensation for discounted fares. It is the fulfillment of the city electric transport contract, the so-called ‘hryvnia-kilometer,’” the director explained.

According to Smetana, a judicial economic expert review has been ordered in the case to examine the documents and the auditors’ findings.

“Once we have the full report from the expert, who is currently reviewing all the documents and the State Audit Service’s findings, then we will be able to discuss this,” noted the company’s director.

The dispute between the municipal enterprise “Mykolaivelektrotrans” and the State Audit Service arose following an audit of the company’s funding for 2022–2025. The auditors concluded that the municipal enterprise may have unjustifiably received 196.8 million hryvnias from the city budget.

According to the auditors, the city government fully covered the cost of passenger transportation, while the revenue from ticket sales remained at the enterprise’s disposal. The audit also identified expenses that, in the auditors’ assessment, were not related to the operation of the electric transit system.

On April 14, 2026, the Southern Office of the State Audit Service demanded that the funds be returned. “Mykolaivelektrotrans” challenged this demand in court. The proceedings were initiated on April 28.

In June, the company requested that a forensic economic examination be ordered. The court granted the motion and instructed experts to verify whether the audit’s findings were supported by documentation. Due to the complexity of the investigation, the experts were given more than 90 days. The case has been suspended pending the receipt of the expert opinion.

Ірина Глухова