14 November 2026, 12:17
In Mykolaiv, the head of a municipal enterprise was dismissed from his position on suspicion of embezzlement
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Grigory Patoka. PHOTO: novosti-n.org
In Mykolaiv, Grigory Patoka, the director of a municipal enterprise who is accused of embezzlement in connection with the purchase of traffic lights, was dismissed from his position as head of the municipal enterprise "SMEP" and reassigned to a lower-level position.
The Center for Public Investigations looked into the details of the case.
The decision was signed by Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych, Nikcenter reported. According to Patoka’s attorney, it took effect on October 30 upon the expiration of the director’s contract. As of November 2, Patoka heads one of the departments of the “SMEP” municipal enterprise. He is currently on scheduled leave, and Yuriy Dzyuba is managing the enterprise.
Read the full version on the CPR website: In Mykolaiv, the director of SMEP was demoted due to allegations of corruption
As reported by Intent, in August 2025, the municipal enterprise “SMEP” signed a contract worth 1.98 million hryvnias with “SEA Electronics Ukraine” LLC. The company transferred 130,600 hryvnias for five traffic lights, which, according to law enforcement officials, were never delivered.
In December, another 68 traffic lights were ordered from the company “Spetselektromontazh-7” for over 1.2 million hryvnias. Investigators believe that the funds were transferred, but the company did not receive the equipment. Some of the traffic lights were not manufactured until January 2026.
In September, Vladislav Simonov, director of “SEA Electronics Ukraine” LLC, was also notified of suspicion of embezzling over 1.3 million hryvnias. According to the investigation, he entered false information into documents regarding the fulfillment of contracts.
Read also: In Mykolaiv, investigators examined payments for 68 undelivered traffic lights
In late January 2026, Hryhorii Patoka was notified of the charges against him. In May, the court ordered the arrest of the company’s lawyer and the official’s wife, Kateryna Patoka.
According to the investigation, the official knew that the traffic lights had not been delivered as stipulated in the contract, yet he approved full payment for them. During searches, official documents, computer equipment, and cell phones were seized.
See also: Head of a Mykolaiv municipal enterprise sent to pretrial detention center for embezzlement
The official was charged with embezzlement of property on an especially large scale under martial law, pursuant to Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
