A court in Odesa granted access to documents in a housing fraud case

A court in Odesa granted law enforcement officials access to the construction company’s registration documents. The developer is suspected of fraud involving investors’ funds. 

This is stated in a ruling by the Kyiv District Court of Odesa.

Pursuant to the court’s decision, law enforcement officials were granted access to the developer’s LLC registration file, as well as to documents regarding changes in its founders and executives. The ruling is valid for one month, and if it is not complied with, the court may authorize searches.

Representatives of the developer and the holders of the documents were not summoned to the court hearing. The investigator convinced the court that there is a real risk of the registration documents being destroyed, forged, or concealed if the company learns of the request in advance.

Law enforcement officials believe that the developers sold apartments through non-profit cooperatives and constructed a multi-unit residential building without the required state review of the project documentation.

The investigation began after a citizen filed a complaint with the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office. Investigators determined that buyers were offered the option to purchase housing through equity contributions to non-profit cooperatives, which significantly complicated oversight of how the funds were used. Despite the existence of urban planning conditions and a building permit, according to the case file, no state review of the project for this property was ever issued.

The police are investigating this case under charges of fraud on an especially large scale and abuse of official position.

Юлія Калабайда