At the Port of Chornomorsk, a USPA official was caught accepting a bribe of half a million

An official at the Black Sea seaport was caught extorting 500,000 hryvnias from a business owner, along with a representative of a private company. In exchange for this money, they promised to help resolve the issue with officials from Ukrzaliznytsia. 

According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, the individual in question is the deputy head of the Black Sea branch of the state-owned enterprise “Administration of Seaports of Ukraine.”

Photo: Office of the Prosecutor General.

He enlisted the owner of a local private company, who acted as an intermediary, in the scheme.

The private company, whose representative contacted law enforcement, had a contract with Ukrzaliznytsia to modernize a railroad crossing and tracks owned by the company.

Photo: Office of the Prosecutor General.

The port official offered the entrepreneur 500,000 hryvnias to secure the necessary decision. He arranged for the money to be transferred through an acquaintance.

As the SBU added, on August 19, law enforcement officers detained the intermediary while she was receiving the full amount, and later detained the official at his workplace. Both suspects were notified that they are suspected of abuse of influence. The penalty under this article provides for up to eight years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.

Ірина Глухова