Odesa: SSU exposes military official who demanded kickbacks for barracks renovation

The Military Counterintelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine has exposed a corruption scheme in the Odessa Military Housing and Utilities Management. The officials in this department regularly demanded kickbacks from contractors who were executing state orders for repair works on the Ukrainian Armed Forces' facilities in Odessa Oblast.

Evidence has been documented showing that the head of the defense housing and utilities management demanded over 400,000 hryvnias from representatives of a local repair and construction company. According to the investigation, the bribe amount constituted 20% of the total contract sum, under which the contractors were supposed to provide lighting for the military barracks of Ukrainian defenders.

To conduct negotiations with entrepreneurs and transfer money, the official involved one of his subordinates – the head of the district electrical networks in the regional center.

SBU operatives arrested the intermediary "red-handed" while receiving the entire amount of the unlawful benefit from the contractors.

Furthermore, the criminal activity of another participant in the scheme – the head of an affiliated commercial structure – was also documented. Through controlled companies, this person was diverting money received supposedly for performing repair works on military facilities into shadow accounts and subsequently converting it into cash.

During searches at the workplaces of the scheme participants, material evidence of the crime was found, including documents and seals of fictitious companies.

The arrested "intermediary" has been informed about the suspicion under Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (accepting an offer, promise, or receiving an unlawful benefit by a public official).

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The question of choosing a preventive measure in the form of detention is being resolved for him.