<img src="/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/f397e72b27fee84508806b5ef3642c17.jpg" class="wpg_image" title="Anti-corruption authorities reported suspicions of bribery to three deputies of the mayor of Odessa Trukhanov. They are Svetlana Bedrega, Oleg Bryndak and Mikhail Kuchuk" width="323" height="156" alt="Svetlana Bedrega, Mikhail Kuchuk, Oleg Bryndak, suspicion, Gennady Trukhanov, Odessa" deputy mayor of Odessa Trukhanov. These are Svetlana Bedrega, Oleg Bryndak and Mykhailo Kuchuk
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) reported suspicions to three deputies of the mayor of Odessa, Gennady Trukhanov. This is stated on the NABU website, Ukrrudprom writes.
As stated in the departments, the suspects are members of a “criminal organization in Odessa, exposed on December 5.” We are talking about:
- the first deputy mayor of Odessa, who is suspected under Part 3 of Art. 255 (creation of a criminal organization) and Part 4 of Art. 368 (receiving a bribe by an official) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
- acting Deputy Mayor of Odessa – Head of the Office of the Executive Committee of the Odessa City Council (part 3 of article 255, part 4 of article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine);
- deputy mayor of Odessa (part 3 of article 255, part 3 of article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Since the location of the first deputy mayor of Odessa is not yet known, he was informed of the suspicion in absentia.
“The investigation established that in the fall of 2021, after NABU and SAPO exposed a criminal organization that specialized in corruption schemes for the illegal removal of property from the communal property of Odessa, a new one appeared in its place. She took control of almost all issues of the economic life of the city, including interaction with developers, purchases from the local budget, the activities of public utilities, and other aspects of interaction with business. To ensure the uninterrupted implementation of the goals set, the organizers have established a process of systemic bribery of officials and deputies of the local council, as evidenced by the evidence obtained by NABU and SAP during the investigation,” the NABU website says.
So, according to the investigation, acting Deputy Trukhanov, the head of the apparatus of the executive committee of the Odessa City Council and a member of the land commission, received monthly 15 thousand US dollars and other funds from the organizers of the group for abuse of official position and power – ensuring that the land commission makes decisions on the allocation of land for construction to predetermined persons, as well as on making changes to the city budget. In general, from November 2021 to August 2022, the suspect received more than UAH 2.4 million in unlawful benefits.
Other accomplices, according to investigators, received UAH 900 and 300 thousand from March to July 2022, respectively. The first deputy mayor of Odessa, in particular, controlled the activities of subordinate departments – the main managers of funds and instructed their leaders to suspend payments for road repairs in the city. This created artificial conditions for obtaining an undue benefit from the contractor for the resumption of payments. The suspect also voted as part of the executive committee for decisions on setting tariffs for the treatment of solid domestic waste in Odessa and changes in the budget, which were in the interests of a criminal organization.
Suspicion of participation in a criminal organization was reported to six persons.
The investigation is identifying other members of the organization and looking for evidence of their corrupt activities.
The article does not name the suspects, but it is about Trukhanov’s first deputy, Mikhail Kuchuk, and also to Oleg Bryndak and Svetlana Bedreg (a key person in the mayor's office on city finance issues).
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