VIP-cabin and luxury real estate in Odessa: how did the head of the MPSS Sudarev enrich himself?
Purchases at inflated prices, schemes with scrap metal and cosmic salaries: journalists analyzed the likely sources of the state of the head of the MPSS Sudarev
Journalists discovered secret sources of income for officials of the Maritime Patrol and Rescue Service
Rescuers or corrupt officials? Against the backdrop of a full-scale war and the actual blocking of the Ukrainian Black Sea by the enemy, officials of Ukraine’s specialized structures continue to grow rich and boast of a luxury lifestyle. And all this despite a long criminal trail from the past. One of the most striking examples is the MPSS in the Odessa region, which since the days of Yanukovych has been invariably headed by Viktor Sudarev.
Where does the head of the Maritime Search and Rescue Service Sudarev get dozens of elite houses and who sponsors alcohol tours of officials on rescue boats? The journalist investigatedStopbark» Artem Polikovsky.
What is the Maritime Search and Rescue Service and who “rules” it?
The Maritime Search and Rescue Service, or MSS for short, is the central executive body established at the end of 2011 by the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine. This is a state-owned enterprise based in the village of Aleksandrovka, Odessa region. Given critical enterprise works in constant readiness to rescue people on the water, provide them with emergency medical care and evacuate to a safe place.
“You probably have repeatedly seen these red ships off the coast of Odessa or the region, for example. And it is these specialists who are among the first to arrive at SOS calls and monitor the passage of almost every vessel in their area of responsibility on the territory of our country. And, as it turned out, it is on this inconspicuous, but strategic enterprise that a secret deriban is spinning‘, — the investigator comments.
Ever since 2011, that is, since the creation of the service under the cadence of Viktor Yanukovych, it has been almost permanently headed by Viktor Sudarev. It is interesting that there are almost no facts of the official biography of the official in open sources of information, if you do not take into account the numerous corruption scandals, suspicion from law enforcement officers and news about the removal from office and able Sudarev.
Viktor Sudarev ”lit up” in a number of corruption scandals
It should be noted that Viktor Sudarev himself never commented on these schemes discovered by journalists or law enforcement officers. However, the StopCore team of lawyers and analysts still managed to find supporting information, as well as communicate with current and former employees of the MPSS.
Viktor Sudarev. What is known about the “inner kitchen” MPSS?
Anatoly Drozd is the head of the trade union of workers of the state-owned enterprise “Marine Search and Rescue Service”, working in the structure from its very foundation. He agreed to tell StopKor about the situation inside the enterprise and some of Sudarev’s management methods and qualities.
Anatoly Drozd, head of the trade union MPSS
“As for his professional qualities, he repeatedly resigned from his position, including with such formulations as inefficient use of state property, violation of anti-corruption laws. This is documented, he is even included in the register of corrupt officials. Regarding his professional abilities, I can say that he does not know the international regulatory framework, he does not know Ukrainian databases very well, in terms of search and rescue. Regarding the requirements for this position – does not speak the state language, does not speak English, which is necessary for this position”, comments the trade union leader.
Viktor Sudarev. What anti-corruption scandals are we talking about?
One of the most resonant scandals that the MPSS, headed by Sudarev, has fallen into is the purchase of a rescue ship for almost 5.5 million euros. According to experts in the maritime sector, this price is significantly overstated. We are talking about the order from the Estonian company Baltic Workboats AS of the vessel Patrol 26 WP SAR.
“In open sources, there are no prices specifically for Patrol 26 WP SAR vessels. However, in 2019, German customs ordered three smaller Patrol 24 WP vessels from this manufacturer for 11 million euros, that is, 3.67 million euros for each. I can guess that it costs about 4 million euros. So the question remains: where will the difference between the cost and the purchase price go? And this is a range of 1-1.5 million euros”, Nikolai Melnik, expert of the Leviathan analytical group, notes.
Commentary by the expert of the analytical group “Leviathan” Nikolay Melnyk
He makes a revealing comparison: Ukraine bought a powerful British icebreaker for $5 million, while MPRS decided to buy an ordinary boat from Estonians for $6 million. According to the analyst, this is not a rational way to use public funds. Especially when you consider that Ukraine still has its own capacity for the manufacture of boats.
Moreover, as the chairman of the trade union notes, there was no need to buy this boat at all. However, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Yuri Vaskov approved the agreement and allocated 5.3 million euros for the MPSS under it. At the same time, according to experts, the tender itself was held with violations, since non-competitive requirements were prescribed in the conditions.
This is not an isolated case: in fact, there were at least several such “schemes”.
“Tender purchases have always been an area where dishonest participants tried to cash in on public funds … That is, it has always been an area of speculation and an opportunity for some companies to pass in public procurement”, — analyst Anastasia Bondarenko notes.
As the journalist found out, the MPSS also bought cars at a doubled price, and the ships were sold for scrap, losing several hundred tons.
“As the page on Prozorro says, the MPSS wants to spend 1.3 million hryvnias on the disposal of its decommissioned vessels. And in return for this, he will also receive a little – the proceeds from the sale of 643.6 tons of scrap metal, which must be performed by a private contractor LLC Ship Repair Service (Chernomorsk). The decommissioned fleet weighs a little more, but it’s all shrink and shake. Moreover, in the tender conditions it is clearly indicated that the weight of scrap metal is conditional”, Nikolai Melnik comments.
In addition, according to Anatoly Drozd, already during the war, an armored jeep was purchased for the enterprise, although none of the service workers saw it with their own eyes.
And what about the state of Viktor Sudarev himself?
According to data from open sources, two apartments in Odessa with a total area of 204.5 sq. m, for his wife – a huge Odessa mansion with an area of 1018.6 sq. m. And yet – three land plots of more than 3.8 thousand square meters. m. In addition, the family uses an Odessa apartment of 69.1 square meters. m, issued to a relative.
“By the way, we also found a chic house of more than 1000 square meters on the video from the wedding of Sudarev’s daughter, which was pretty big. Ksenia Sudareva married a former NABU employee, Vadim Korenny. According to a study by our fellow journalists, neither the wedding nor the lifestyle of the newly minted correspond to the declaration of officials”, – states Artyom Polikovsky.
The wedding of Sudarev’s daughter was marked by ”scale”
Another interesting point relates to Sudarev’s “love” for the Sapphire rescue boat. This is exactly the ship that was captured by the Russians off the Serpent’s Island. According to the documents, colossal sums are written off for fuel for the Sapphire, which allegedly “goes to training.” In addition, the ship is allegedly equipped with a special cabin for the official himself.
“Of course, this is not advertised anywhere, I personally have repeatedly been on the Sapphire and they showed me that there is a VIP-cabin of the “ship owner”. Many service cabins were converted into this cabin, I walked around it, it’s like a 5-star hotel, there is ultra-modern furniture, a very large plasma TV, a royal double bed, dishes. While the crew members huddle in booths of such old Soviet construction and there is a common toilet on the corridor … Then in this cabin, there are parties“, says the head of the union.
Rescue boat ”Sapphire”
This information was also confirmed to journalists by the former captain of the Sapphire, who no longer works in the MPS.
However, this is not all: there is also a criminal trace in history. And even treason.
As it turned out, Vladimir Rabotnev, Mr. Sudarev’s deputy, even served time in prison after “working” for the state. And he was imprisoned not for stealing sausages in a store, but for high treason, because he divulged secret information to which he had access while performing his official duties.
Vladimir Rabotnev was suspected of publicizing state secrets
“The SBU completed the pre-trial investigation and sent to court a criminal case against the former Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications, who disclosed secret information that became known to them in connection with the performance of their official duties. Disclosure to third parties of this information, which is a state secret in the field of economy, could lead to harm to the national security of Ukraine by causing significant economic losses to the state”, — says in one of the press releases on the Rabotnev case.
However, even after such a criminal past, Mr. Rabotnev continues to work for the state and receive a salary from the state budget.
“In this case, in my opinion, the responsibility for hiring, as well as further activities, the performance of functional duties and the non-recurrence of similar situations, is entirely on the person who accordingly decided to hire this person. In a situation where the country is at war, our legislation on the disclosure of state secrets is quite liberal and democratic. And given the difficult situation, there is a need to review and create tougher sanctions for these crimes. ”, – says lawyer Sergei Rudenko.
Moreover, according to insiders, against the background of the war, the leadership of the MPSS continues to receive state salaries of 300,000 hryvnias and issue “space” bonuses to itself.
Is it really true?
The editors of StopKor planned to talk about this with Sudarev and Rabotnev personally. But both officials are out of the country.
So, Viktor Sudarev is in Estonia, where he went on a working visit before the New Year. According to the documents, he personally supervises the construction of a new rescue boat.
But Vladimir Rabotnev is on vacation, and also resting abroad. By phone, the exact dates of their absence could not be reported to journalists.
Thus, the investigators transferred all the revealed facts to law enforcement agencies. We hope that the leadership of the Ministry of Infrastructure will also respond appropriately. After all, at a time when dozens of searches and detentions stirred up the whole country, in this story, the relevant Deputy Minister Yuri Vaskov and law enforcement officers do not seem to see the egregious facts of abuse.
Recall that Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Yuri Vaskov, who is believed to have had a hand in the adoption of the dubious Decree No. 1499, recently “lit up” in another raiding scandal. The ex-wife of an official, Maria Kovylina, with the support of a private security structure, is trying to take away office space in the center of Odessa from her retired spouses: Odessa residents are threatened with forceful actions and influential connections.
Hope Rogalskaya
