The case involving the embezzlement of funds during the renovation of the Ukrainian Theater has been referred to court

Prosecutors from the Primorsky District Prosecutor’s Office have referred to court a case involving the former director of a construction company, who is suspected of misappropriating another person’s property and falsifying official documents.

This was reported by the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

According to investigators, in 2021, a municipal enterprise engaged in construction and renovation announced a tender for repair and restoration work on a theater building in the historic center of Odesa. A construction company headed by the accused was declared the winner of the open bidding process.

The project involved major repairs and restoration of the facades of the Vasylko Odesa Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater, with an estimated cost of over 33 million hryvnias. The winner wasGRAD-STROY LLC, which submitted a bid of 26.5 million hryvnias. In July 2021, a contract was signed with the company to carry out the work. According to YouControl, the company’s founder isVadym Teplitsky, a deputy of the Odesa Regional Council, and its director isTetiana Titova.

After the renovation was completed, according to the investigation, the defendant personally entered false information into official documents regarding the cost and scope of work allegedly performed by her company. In particular, the reports indicated the dismantling of nearly 100 meters of structures, which in fact did not take place. Furthermore, despite the documents indicating the purchase of nearly 100 meters of cornices, no such purchase actually took place. Information regarding the purchase of over 600 anchors—which the company also did not purchase—was also falsely included.

As a result of these illegal actions, the local community suffered damages amounting to nearly half a million hryvnias. Investigators believe that the director’s illegal actions were made possible by the professional negligence of the technical supervision engineer. The specialist failed to properly supervise the repairs and did not verify that the scope of work performed complied with the design and cost estimate documentation and regulatory requirements. He then signed acceptance certificates for the completed construction work containing inaccurate data. The engineer is now also facing charges of professional negligence.

Back in 2022,Intentreported that law enforcement officials were investigating the quality of restoration work at the Ukrainian Theater, which was carried out by a company linked to a regional council deputy. At that time, the investigation concerned agreements between the municipal enterprise “Obltransbud” and “Build-Pro” LLC, which was headed byTeplitsky.

Кирило Бойко