Two deputies of local councils of Lviv Oblast found themselves at the center of a high-profile corruption scandal. They were informed of the suspicion of bribery: one of them received an unlawful benefit (Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code), and the other provided it (Part 3 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code).
How did the scheme work?
The investigation established that one of the deputies, who at the same time held the position of head of the city council department, organized a scheme to receive "kickbacks" for concluding contracts for the purchase of goods and services. The size of the "commission" was from 5 to 10% of the value of the contracts.
His colleague, a member of another city council, who is an individual entrepreneur, was also involved in this scheme. He transferred funds to the official, ensuring the victory of "necessary" companies in tenders.
The investigators documented the transfer of over 800,000 hryvnias of illegal profits.
Search results
During the searches, law enforcement officers seized:
- more than 1.6 million hryvnias,
- more than 14 thousand US dollars,
- 2.5 thousand euro,
- car,
- dozens of bank cards and other evidence confirming corrupt activities.
Currently, one of the suspects has been taken into custody. With regard to the second, the question of choosing a preventive measure in the form of detention is being decided.
This case once again demonstrates how deeply corruption penetrates local authorities, undermining the trust of citizens and damaging the state budget. Time will tell whether this case will be a signal for stricter control over public procurement.
