The foreign chair of the supervisory board of Mykolaivvodokanal is under police investigation

Hanna Montavon, chair of the supervisory board of "Mykolaivvodokanal," stated that the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) did not provide her with a lawyer after a criminal case was opened against her for failing to file a declaration.

She shared this information on her Facebook page.

According to Montavon, she joined the supervisory board in May 2025 as an institutional expert and a German citizen. There was a several-month period between her appointment and the actual start of work—which began after the contracts were signed in September—to prepare the board members to work in accordance with Ukrainian law.

She asserts that it was precisely the international experts and donor organizations that were supposed to provide the members of the supervisory board with a full explanation of their rights, obligations, and financial control requirements.

“This is precisely why experts, donor programs, and anti-corruption initiatives are involved in such reforms: not for flashy presentations, but so that people invited to participate in a corporate governance system that is new to the municipal enterprise (especially foreigners) receive clear, written, and professional explanations,” Montavon wrote.

She stated that she was advised not to file a declaration.

“As a member of the Supervisory Board, a foreign citizen, and someone entering the Ukrainian declaration system for the first time in this capacity, I was advised not to file a declaration. This recommendation was provided by Yulia Mincheva, who served simultaneously as a freelance advisor to the mayor and an employee of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative,” stated the chair of the supervisory board.

In addition, according to Montavon, she was not involved in consultations regarding the declaration process, nor was she provided with guidelines or written explanations regarding the procedure for submitting the declaration, the deadlines, or the specific requirements for foreign citizens.

As a result, Montavon notes, she did not file a declaration in 2025 as a candidate for office.

Currently, she said, criminal proceedings have been initiated against her for failing to file a declaration.

Montavon also stated that, in her opinion, the company’s anti-corruption officer violated the procedure.

“First, he should have notified the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NAZK); then I would have been given 10 days to file the declaration. But that step was skipped, and he immediately filed a report with the police,” she asserts.

The chair of the supervisory board reported that she is now forced to hire lawyers on her own, although she believes the situation arose due to inadequate support for the reform.

“At present, the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative, which was involved in the process, is not providing me with legal representation,” Montavon stated.

She emphasized that she views this situation as a problem not only for herself personally but also for the entire corporate governance system.

“If a donor or expert system comes to a city, helps create a new model of corporate governance, but fails to provide basic legal support for board members, and then people are left to face criminal or administrative risks on their own—such a system has failed to fulfill its function,” she noted.

According to Montavon, this situation could lead to professional experts refusing to serve on supervisory boards due to high personal risks and a lack of institutional protection.

At the same time, she emphasized that she is not shirking responsibility and is already working on her own legal defense.

“I did not conceal my income. I did not fail to file declarations. I acted based on the information and recommendations provided to me during the launch of the reform,” concluded the chair of the supervisory board of “Mykolaivvodokanal.”

Following the publication , Ihor Bloshko, the anti-corruption commissioner of the Mykolaivvodokanal Municipal Enterprise, outlined his position.

According to him, he had raised the issue of the candidate’s missing declaration as early as during his first video conference with Montavon.

“During our first video meeting, I personally raised the issue of the candidate’s missing declaration with Ms. Montavon on multiple occasions,” Bloshko stated.

He also claims that Montavon insisted at the time that, as a foreign citizen, she was not required to file a declaration.

In addition, Bloshko reported that he sent her two official letters reminding her of the need to file her annual declaration by April 1, 2026.

“Later, I sent her two official letters warning her of the need to file her annual declaration by April 1, 2026,” he noted.

Regarding the procedure for reporting a possible violation, Bloshko stated that the law provides for more than just filing a complaint with the NACP.

“Under certain circumstances, the information may be forwarded to law enforcement agencies. That is precisely what was done. I will not disclose the details of the procedure at this time, given the requirements of the pre-trial investigation,” the Anti-Corruption Commissioner said.

Ірина Глухова