The management of one of the largest municipal associations in the capital has found itself on trial. The General Director of Kyivzelenbud and his first deputy are accused of organizing a large-scale corruption scheme related to systemic abuses during public procurement.
According to the National Police, officials not only abused their official position, but also deliberately built a mechanism to influence tender procedures. At the heart of the scheme is direct trading in access to budget contracts. Controlled commercial structures won tenders in advance, and in return returned 15% of the total contract amount to officials in the form of so-called “kickbacks.”.
The conditions were simple: those who paid received not only guarantees of victory, but also de facto immunity from inspections and automatic signing of certificates of work performed. Companies that did not agree to the corrupt rules of the game were not allowed to participate in the procurement at all.
During the investigation, law enforcement officers recorded the systematic nature of such abuses. The suspects' property was seized in the amount of about 11 million hryvnias. In addition, about 3.2 million hryvnias, which were received as bribes, were transferred to the ARMA for possible confiscation within the framework of special proceedings.
The indictment has been sent to court. If proven guilty, the officials face real punishment, including imprisonment and confiscation of property.
This story once again demonstrates how the openness of public procurement can be undermined by behind-the-scenes agreements. In a situation where every budget hryvnia should work for the city, even a 15% “kickback” is looting under the guise of improvements.
