Took advance payment and fled abroad: contractor taken into custody in Mykolaiv region

The story of the reconstruction of a hospital in Mykolaiv region has turned into a criminal case: according to investigators, a million-dollar advance disappeared without a trace in the accounts. The court has taken into custody the former director of the contracting firm, who is suspected of embezzlement and is on the international wanted list.

This is evidenced by the ruling of the Novobuzsky District Court.

The court arrested the former director of Juventa Group Ukraine LLC, who is suspected of misappropriating budget funds during the reconstruction of a medical facility in Mykolaiv region. This is a case where the amount of damage exceeds UAH 4.9 million.

According to the investigation, in 2019, Juventa-Group Ukraine LLC and Berezneguvata Central District Hospital entered into an agreement for the reconstruction of the polyclinic. The contractor received an advance payment of more than UAH 3.9 million, which was to be used for the purchase of construction materials.

However, according to law enforcement, these funds were not actually spent for their intended purpose. Instead, the suspect, using his official position, took possession of them, and to cover up the scheme, organized the issuance of false certificates of completion and certificates of their value.

In addition, the case file contains information about additional overstatement of the cost of the work, in particular by including expenses that were not actually incurred in the documents. Such actions, according to the conclusions of the experts, caused the hospital to suffer losses of hundreds of thousands of hryvnias in excess of the principal amount of the advance payment.

The investigation also found that after the scheme was implemented, the defendant formally resigned as director, but continued to control the company's activities. Subsequently, he went abroad and did not return, which became the basis for putting him on the international wanted list.

The court concluded that there was a risk of absconding, influence on witnesses and possible continuation of illegal activities. In this regard, the court arrested the suspect without setting bail. The hearing took place in the absence of the suspect, as, according to the investigation, he left Ukraine and was put on the international wanted list.

After the suspect's detention, he is to be brought to court for reconsideration of the preventive measure with his participation. He faces up to 12 years in prison under the charges of misappropriation of property on a large scale and forgery.

Also in March, in Pervomaisk, a court left a local businessman and city council member under nightly house arrest. He is suspected of embezzling budget funds during the repair of the roof over the hospital's operating room.

Анна Бальчінос