Village council official arrested in case of drone procurement in Odesa region

An official of a village council in Odesa region who was accused of negligence in the purchase of quadcopters for territorial defense units was acquitted. Law enforcement officials claimed overpayment, but the court concluded that the official's guilt was not proven.

This is evidenced by the verdict of the Dobroslav District Court.

The trial over the purchase of DJI Mavic quadcopters for military units has ended in Dobroslav. The chief specialist of the legal department of the Dobroslav village council, who also served as an authorized person for public procurement, was in the dock. He was charged with official negligence.

According to the investigation, in 2023, the official organized tenders for the purchase of DJI Mavic 3 and DJI Mavic 3T quadcopters for territorial defense units. Law enforcement officers claimed that the purchases were made at inflated prices, and the official allegedly failed to properly analyze the market and check the actual cost of the equipment before concluding contracts.

The investigation found that under two contracts, the village council transferred over UAH 6.1 million to the entrepreneur for drones. According to the experts, the market value of the equipment could have been lower, and the total amount of the alleged overpayment, according to the prosecution, was over UAH 442 thousand.

During the trial, the defendant pleaded not guilty. He stated that he did not have the authority to determine the expected cost of procurement on his own, as such decisions were made by members of the village council and specialized commissions. He also emphasized that the procurement was carried out through open bidding in accordance with the requirements of wartime legislation, and only one participant applied for the tenders.

In court, representatives of the village council confirmed that the decision to finance the procurement was made by the deputies after requests from military units for quadcopters. The witnesses also noted that the expected cost of the goods was agreed upon within the budget decisions, and the authorized person only accompanied the tender procedure.

The court paid special attention to expert opinions on the cost of quadcopters. The judge noted that the experts only indicated the probable market price of the goods, using the wording "the price could be", and did not establish the exact market value. Therefore, the court concluded that the prosecution was based on assumptions rather than irrefutable evidence.

As a result, the court ruled that the official's guilt in official negligence had not been proven, and therefore acquitted him in both criminal proceedings.

Also, an employee of the education department in Odesa region will be tried for overpayments for heating. Law enforcement officers found that in 2023, the official was responsible for organizing the purchase of coal for heating educational institutions - 7 schools and 5 kindergartens. However, she did not properly analyze market prices for fuel.

Анна Бальчінос