Large-scale inspection of Kyiv’s municipal enterprises: investigation uncovers abuses amounting to 73 million hryvnias

Large-scale inspection of Kyiv’s municipal enterprises: investigation uncovers abuses amounting to 73 million hryvnias

A real “rain” of suspicions hit officials of Kyiv’s communal enterprises on October 3. Another piece of evidence that systemic problems with control and accountability in the sphere of communal expenditures in the capital have not disappeared turned out to be quite significant. The losses to Kyiv’s budget reached 73 million UAH, with suspicions handed to 14 individuals at once.

This was reported by Informator.

In Kyiv, law enforcement officers announced suspicions to 12 officials of communal enterprises and district administrations, as well as to two heads of contractor organizations. As reported by the Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office, according to the investigation, due to abuse of power and official negligence, the capital’s budget lost nearly 73 million UAH. Kyiv’s communal enterprises and authorities spent money on electricity, repair works, procurement of road salt, specialized equipment, and spare parts, but each time with inflated prices, poor-quality products, or simply uncontrolled spending. Suspicions have been raised under various articles of the Criminal Code, including embezzlement of property, official negligence, and forgery.

The largest losses were recorded at the communal enterprise “Kyivpastrans.” The head of the enterprise’s department, as established, failed to conduct price monitoring before purchasing electricity, resulting in the city overpaying 47.2 million UAH. The second largest case involves the Department of Municipal Security of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA) - its director, according to the investigation, failed to monitor the expected cost of specialized vehicles and equipment, leading to an overpayment of nearly 11 million UAH from the budget.

Several episodes were recorded at “Kyivzelenbud.” The former general director, chief agronomist, and head of a contractor company are accused of embezzling 4.8 million UAH during the elimination of ragweed. Additionally, the former head of a department at the same enterprise and the head of a contractor organization are suspected of embezzling 800 thousand UAH during the landscaping of the “Orlyatko” park in the Solomyanskyi district.

Another suspicion emerged in the Solomyanskyi district: the head of a service at the district’s communal enterprise “ShEU” is alleged by investigators to have allowed an overpayment of 2 million UAH for the purchase of road salt. A similar case was uncovered at the communal enterprise “ShEU of Holosiivskyi district,” where losses to the budget amounted to 1.4 million UAH due to the purchase of substandard salt. Another suspect is the former head of the communal enterprise “ShEU of Podilskyi district,” who is accused of purchasing anti-parking bollards for 1.5 million UAH that did not meet DSTU standards.

Suspicions were also recorded in the healthcare sector. The head of a service at the communal organization “Kyivmedspetstrans,” according to the investigation, together with contractors, misappropriated 1.9 million UAH allocated for spare parts for ambulances.

Repairs were not spared either: the head of a department at the Holosiivskyi District State Administration is suspected of embezzling nearly a million UAH during the repair of a parking lot. In the Solomianskyi District State Administration, a suspicion was announced to the head of a department and a representative of a contractor organization due to inflated costs for school roof repair works. The losses amount to over 500 thousand UAH.

The last on the list is an official of the Svyatoshynskyi Psychoneurological Boarding House. He is suspected of embezzling nearly 700 thousand UAH during the major repair of a hybrid solar power plant. Currently, investigative actions are ongoing, with each episode being investigated separately, but all of them point to systemic problems with control and accountability in the sphere of communal expenditures in the capital.