In connection with previously discovered suspicions of illegal enrichment of the mayor of Ochakov, Serhiy Bychkov, law enforcement agencies have started a criminal investigation.
This was reported by the spokeswoman of the regional police department of the Mykolaiv region, Maryna Kalyna.
"Criminal cases have been opened against Mayor Ochakov under the first part of Article 366-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (on declaring false information) and Article 368-5 (on illegal enrichment)," Maryna Kalyna said.
She also added that the investigation is being conducted by the police of the Mykolaiv region, and in order to ensure the effectiveness of the investigation, no details are being disclosed.
We will remind you that in 2022, the mayor of Ochakov, Serhii Bychkov, bought an apartment in Spain worth more than 5 million hryvnias.
In April 2022, Mayor Bychkov banned journalists from working in the city, and the deputy mayor explained it as follows: "You don't need to go here."
Although later, Ochakov's mayor's office explained Serhiy Bychkov's absence in public space as his dislike for such communication and admitted that the media coverage did not save the community from shelling and occupation.
Bychkov's behavior and the lack of reports on the results of his work were explained by the head of Mykolayiv OVA by the fact that he is a "non-public person".
Regarding the connection of the mayor of Ochakov with the case of high treason of Eduard Shevchenko, Eduard Shevchenko headed the department of the Ochakov city council responsible for security in the city, and was the commander of the 73rd naval special purpose center. During his detention in March 2023, the SBU reported that he had tried to recruit Serhii Bychkov.
According to the case, in 2023, when Eduard Shevchenko held the position of head of the department of protection and surveillance of the Ochakiv City Council's housing and communal services department, he received a task from Serhii Kolesnikov to recruit the mayor for a loyal attitude. In a direct conversation with Bychkov in the city council, Shevchenko said that representatives of the Russian Federation want to talk to the mayor.
Even after his arrest, Eduard Shevchenko said that he was surprised by the SBU's statement, which states that he tried to recruit Mayor Serhii Bychkov to work for the Russians.
The Deputy Chairman of the Public Control Council of the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine, Denys Zhelo, commented on the lack of claims by law enforcement officers against Ochakov Mayor Serhii Bychkov, who was detained for treason. According to Denys Zhelo, the mayor of Ochakov Serhii Bychkov "was friends in all directions with the Russian intelligence agent Eduard Shevchenko."
Eduard Shevchenko himself noted that he considers Serhiy Bychkov to be the most effective mayor of all those who were in Ochakiv.
