Criminal scheme uncovered during modernisation of infrastructure at state-owned enterprise ’Black Sea Commercial Port of Chornomorsk’. PHOTOS
Based on information provided by the Security Service of Ukraine, a criminal scheme at the Black Sea branch of the State Enterprise ‘Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority’ has been uncovered during a pre-trial investigation conducted by the State Bureau of Investigations under the procedural supervision of the Office of the Prosecutor General.
As reported by Censor.NET, citing the Security Service of Ukraine, comprehensive measures were carried out with the assistance of the management of the State Enterprise "Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority".
Details
As a result of these operations, an official from the State Enterprise "Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority" was detained for demanding 500,000 hryvnias from representatives of a contractor in exchange for the unhindered approval of documentation relating to the modernisation of port infrastructure.
This concerned the approval of updated project documentation for a previously concluded contract for the reconstruction of railway tracks within the territory of the seaport.
To carry out the scheme, the official enlisted the help of an acquaintance – the owner of a local private company – who acted as an intermediary during meetings with representatives of the contractor and the transfer of funds.
Law enforcement officers caught the intermediary ‘red-handed’ whilst she was receiving the full amount of the unlawful benefit from the contractors. Subsequently, the organiser of the scheme – an official at a local branch of the USPA – was arrested at his workplace.
Both suspects have now been notified that they are under suspicion of abuse of influence. The issue of imposing preventive measures in the form of remand in custody is currently being considered.
The suspects face up to 8 years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property for their offences.
