May 28, 2025, 11:22 a.m.
(PHOTO: Mykolaivvodokanal)
The tender for the reconstruction of the water supply system in Mykolaiv was won by a Zaporizhzhia company that offered a discount of 1.6 million. In the past, the company has been involved in investigations into collusion with officials and misappropriation of tens of millions of budget funds.
This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations, citing data from the Prozorro procurement system.
In early May, Mykolaivvodokanal announced a tender for the reconstruction of water supply networks on Elektronna Street between Pershotravneva and Oleksandr Yanata streets. The cost of the works was preliminarily estimated at UAH 19.4 million.
The auction was held on May 27 and was attended by two companies from Zaporizhzhia - AVTO-M and PMK-21. The winner was AUTO-M LLC with an offer of 1.6 million less than the contract amount.
According to YouControl, the company was registered in Zaporizhzhia in 2017. The authorized capital of the company is 2.5 million. The company has been involved in both criminal cases and journalistic investigations several times.
According to media reports, the company was previously involved in criminal proceedings for embezzlement. According to the investigation, in 2019-2021, Dniprovodokanal signed eight contracts with the company for more than UAH 40 million for repairs, reconstruction of water pipes and removal of blockages. Law enforcement suspected collusion between the contractor and officials to misappropriate the money.
In total, since 2016, the company has won more than UAH 1 billion in public procurement, most of it from Dniprovodokanal. In 2025, the company has already earned 85 million, where Poltavavodokanal, Krechenchugvodokanal, Kovelvodokanal, Chernivtsivodokanal, and others were also customers.
According to a ruling of the Dzerzhynskyi District Court of Kryvyi Rih, officials of the Dnipro City Council and the company's director set up a scheme to seize local budget funds during the overhaul and reconstruction of cable lines for more than UAH 30 million.
A tender for the repair of heating networks in Mykolaiv worth UAH 15 million was also won by a company that had previously come to light due to possible fraud with the budget in Zhytomyr. Despite its dubious reputation, the company continues to receive millions of dollars in contracts from state and municipal institutions.
Анна Бальчінос