Documents from a department in Odesa were seized amid allegations of embezzlement

In Odesa, a court seized documents from the City Council’s Department of Municipal Services in connection with a case involving the alleged embezzlement of budget funds during the renovation of apartment buildings. 

The Center for Public Investigations examined the details of the case.

According to a ruling by the Kyiv District Court of Odesa dated October 9, 2026, investigators are examining a possible scheme to embezzle funds during the major renovation of residential buildings, particularly those damaged as a result of Russian aggression.

According to the case file, in 2024–2025, the department entered into contracts with contractors and NORT TEK+ LLC for repairs totaling over 80 million hryvnias without conducting open bidding. Investigators suspect that the work completion reports may have contained false information regarding the scope of work, the cost of materials, and the actual condition of the repairs. Cheaper materials may have been used instead of those specified in the projects.

According to investigators, department officials, representatives of the parliamentary committee on housing and utilities, and employees of the municipal utilities “ZhKS ‘Porto-Frankivskyi’” and “ZhKS ‘Chornomorskyi’” may have been involved in the alleged scheme. Law enforcement officials believe that some of the work may have been performed by regular employees of the utility companies, although the documents listed it as work done by contractors.

During searches of the department on February 10 and 11, 2026, law enforcement officials seized contracts, certificates of completion, project documentation, expert reports, and materials related to payments to contractors. Investigators filed a motion with the court to seize the documents.

A representative of the department objected to the seizure, but the court granted the investigators’ motion.

As reported by Intent, according to investigators, the chief accountant of Stroy-Invest-Group-7 LLC played a key role in the scheme. She was responsible for maintaining accounting and tax records, and also kept so-called “off-the-books” records. 

Анна Літман