The former chairman of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration, Valentyn Reznichenko, was declared suspected of possible involvement in a corruption scheme during road repairs in the region, which resulted in damage to the territorial community in the amount of more than UAH 286 million.
Verbatim: “Under the procedural guidance of the SAP prosecutor, NABU detectives reported suspicion to 5 individuals involved in possible abuses during road repairs in the Dnipropetrovsk region, which resulted in damage to the territorial community in the amount of more than UAH 286 million.”
Find out more: Fitness Trainer for a Billion. How the Company of a Close Friend of the Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration Became the Richest During the War
Details: According to information from anti-corruption agencies, the following were notified of suspicion: the former head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration; the former deputy head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration; the former head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration department; the former head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration road management department; the head of a business entity.
NABU and SAP do not name the former head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration, but as follows from the case materials, we are talking about Valentin Reznichenko, whom President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed from his post on January 24, 2023.
The actions of the suspects are classified as a crime under Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The investigation established that in 2022, the said persons, in order to obtain the opportunity for priority financing of works that were to be carried out by a legal entity associated with them, as well as to avoid the need to develop design documentation, conduct its examination and carry out technical supervision, ensured the inspection of roads, the preparation of defective reports, an increase in funding from the local budget and the conclusion of contracts for the performance of work on the operational maintenance of highways instead of their major repairs.
This replacement of types of work was supposed to ensure priority provision of funding, but expenses for current and major repairs of roads, in accordance with the legislation in force under martial law, were possible only as a last resort.
In addition, it turned out that the individuals had unreasonably increased the costs of such maintenance to UAH 1.5 billion. Subsequently, it was for this amount that contracts were concluded for the performance of the relevant work with a company associated with the then acting chairman of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration.
The findings of the conducted examinations confirmed that the contractor company inflated the cost of materials by more than UAH 286 million.
According to the investigation, some of these funds were transferred to the accounts of other companies associated with the top official and his deputy.
“At present, the investigation of facts about the possible laundering of illegally obtained funds is ongoing, and the involvement of other persons in the crime is being established,” the anti-corruption agencies noted.