Anti-corruption authorities notify of suspicion businessman Kaufman, ex-MP Hranovsky who controlled officials of Odesa City Council
The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) reported suspicions to members of a criminal organization that controlled officials of the Odesa City Council, SAPO has reported.
"On December 6, 2022, under the procedural guidance of SAPO prosecutors, NABU detectives reported suspicion to three members of a criminal organization that controlled the officials of the Odesa City Council, the city's budget expenditures, the activities of local utilities and committed other corruption crimes," the SAPO said on its Telegram channel on Tuesday.
According to the report, the actions of the businessman and MP of Ukraine of the IV convocation, whom investigators consider the organizers of the criminal scheme, are qualified under Part 1 of Article 255 (creation of a criminal organization), Part 3 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal benefit to an official) of Ukraine, the authorized person was charged under Part 2 of Article 255 and Part 3 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
"Investigators established that since the autumn of 2021, the participants of the criminal organization have controlled development issues in Odesa, the disposal of local budget funds, as well as the activities of public utilities and their interaction with the private sector of the market. In fact, the criminal organization controlled all significant budget expenditures in Odesa and coordinated the main issues agenda of the sessions of the Odesa City Council," the SAPO said.
The prosecutor's office said that to implement criminal actions, the defendants set up a process of systemic bribery of officials and deputies of the local council, who ensured the adoption of the necessary decisions by the local government.
Currently, the issue of choosing a custody status for the suspect is being decided, all members of the criminal organization are being identified.
The SAPO report does not indicate the names of the suspects, as a source in law enforcement agencies told Interfax-Ukraine, they are businessman Borys Kaufman and ex-deputy Oleksandr Hranovsky.
