Suspicions of overpayment for electricity have arisen at the Port of Izmail

The court ordered the seizure of documents and a cell phone belonging to the former chief engineer of the Izmail Commercial Seaport—they were confiscated during a search conducted as part of an investigation into the possible embezzlement of public funds through the purchase of electricity at inflated prices.

Intent learned this from a ruling by the Kyiv District Court of Odesa.

According to investigators, in March 2021, the state-owned enterprise “Izmail Sea Trade Port” entered into a contract with Euro Trade Energy LLC for the supply of electricity worth over 21.3 million hryvnias.

The price per 1 kWh of electricity under this contract was 2.34 hryvnias. At the same time, according to the investigation, the average market price for electricity in April–July 2021 ranged from 0.9 to 1.8 hryvnias per 1 kWh.

Investigators believe that port officials may have acted in collusion with representatives of the supplier company to illegally pocket the difference between the market price and the inflated contract price.

On July 24, 2026, law enforcement officers conducted an authorized search of the residence of the port’s former chief engineer. During the search, investigators seized a number of the company’s internal documents—regulations on the procedure for concluding contracts, regulations on the tender committee, the chief engineer’s job description, as well as a copy of Contract No. 6 itself with all additional agreements.

In addition to the documents, investigators seized the man’s Samsung cell phone.

The investigating judge recognized all seized items as physical evidence in the criminal proceedings. According to the court, the documents pertain to the company’s decision-making procedures, the powers of officials, and, specifically, the terms of the conclusion and performance of the disputed contract.

Regarding the phone, the court noted that at the time the contract was concluded, its owner held a management position at the port; therefore, the device may contain correspondence, contacts, or other data relevant to the investigation.

The seizure prohibits the owner from disposing of, managing, or using this property—this is necessary to preserve evidence until the completion of investigative and expert procedures.

The court emphasized that the seizure does not permanently deprive the owner of their property rights—it is a temporary measure, and once the necessary expert examinations are completed, the owner may file a motion to have it lifted.

The ruling may be appealed within five days to the Odesa Court of Appeals.

Ірина Глухова