In Odesa, veterans accused officials of possible corruption schemes
In Odesa, veterans have reported possible corruption schemes within the city council and submitted evidence regarding certain officials to law enforcement agencies. At the same time, for more than half a year now, they have been demanding that their representatives be included on the city council’s executive committee.
Veterans Demand Representation on the Executive Committee
According to representatives of the organization, their initiative is supported by city council members and military personnel, but city leadership is in no hurry to involve veterans in decision-making.
The union claims that Acting Mayor Ihor Koval does not actually run the city; rather, according to the organization’s representatives, his first deputy, Oleksandr Filatov, wields key influence over municipal affairs.
Representatives of the organization also alleged the existence of a possible system of informal payments in various sectors of the city’s economy.
In particular, according to the union, Kostyantyn Safoshyn, Oleksandr Filatov’s godfather, may have been involved in collecting funds for street vending and the installation of small architectural forms (MAFs). The organization’s representatives allege that Oleksiy Botezat may have exercised control over the financial flows of municipal enterprises in the public works sector.
Among other officials whose activities, according to the union, require investigation, - Artem Zakharov, acting director of the municipal enterprise “Odessa City Heat Supply”; Nadiya Novikova, acting chief architect; and Vakhtang Gvazava, first deputy head of the Road Maintenance Department. The organization alleges possible abuses in the areas of heat supply, land use, and road construction and repair.
Procurement of shelters: potential losses of 28 million hryvnias
Separately, the veterans drew attention to the procurement of concrete mobile shelters. According to the organization, Deputy Mayor Filatov oversaw this initiative.
Following the organization’s complaint, the Investigative Department of the National Police opened a criminal case under Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which pertains to the embezzlement, misappropriation, or acquisition of property through abuse of official position.
According to the union, the city planned to purchase 10 mobile shelters from the company “MYRADIMA” for over 23 million hryvnias. Subsequently, this same company received a contract from the municipal enterprise “Odesa City Heat Supply” worth nearly 31 million hryvnias. The total value of the two contracts exceeded 54.5 million hryvnias.
Representatives of the organization claim that the market value of a shelter for 50 people is 1.1–1.5 million hryvnias, while the city purchased them for nearly 2.4 million hryvnias each. Based on this data, the union estimates the potential losses to the city budget at 28 million hryvnias.
They also raised concerns about potential issues with the quality of the concrete and the suitability of the installation sites due to underground utilities. According to the union, the police are demanding that the city council provide tender documentation, contracts, and quality certificates for the shelters.
Land Management Contracts and Filatov’s Declaration
Another set of allegations concerns Filatov’s work as director of the Department of Land Resources. According to the union, while holding this position, he entered into at least 12 contracts with the company “TERRA COM,” which was founded by his wife at the time.
Representatives of the organization believe that the cost of preparing the documentation may have been inflated. In particular, according to the organization’s estimates, potential budget losses under one of the contracts for land inventory amount to 10.5 million hryvnias. According to the union, these circumstances are being investigated by the National Police and the Economic Security Bureau.
In addition, the veterans pointed out possible discrepancies in the official’s financial disclosure statement. Specifically, they claim that information about certain real estate properties may have been omitted from the statement, and that the value of a 2023 Toyota Camry may have been understated. The organization also drew attention to an 861-square-meter house in Kryzhanivka purchased by the official’s wife.
The veterans’ organization stated that it will continue to gather evidence and monitor the investigations.
This was reported with reference to a statement by the All-Ukrainian Trade Union of Defenders of Ukraine in the Odesa region.
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