The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) on Aug. 10 said it busted an embezzlement scheme in Mykolaiv, which led to losses of more than Hr 26.8 million (over $1 million.)
According to the Bureau, officials of the Mykolaiv city council appropriated funds to renovate the city’s historic Cathedral Square. Mykolaiv is a Black Sea city home to nearly 500,000 people located 475 kilometers south of Kyiv.
The reconstruction tender was launched in 2019. City council members ensured the victory of a predetermined company, which performed the work at inflated prices, according to NABU.
The Bureau detained four alleged participants of the scheme, including the deputy mayor of Mykolaiv, the first deputy director of one of the departments of the city council and the directors of two private companies.
Four more officials were served with notices of suspicion without being detained. All suspects were charged with embezzlement.
NABU said that deputy mayor Serhii Korenev tried to leave Ukraine and was detained on the Hungarian border. Earlier that day, NABU searched Korenev’s apartment, Slovo i Dilo reported, citing the mayor of Mykolaiv, Olexander Senkevich, who was also questioned.
In a Facebook statement, Korenev said he’s sure that he will be able to “prove the absence of any crime” in court.
