Port in Odesa region overpaid almost a million for electricity — officials suspected

According to the investigation, in 2021-2022, documents for payment for electricity were approved at prices that in some cases were more than twice as high as those stipulated in the contract.

The Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office reported suspicion to the former chief engineer and deputy head of one of the state seaports of the Odesa region. They are charged with official negligence, which caused serious consequences, the prosecutor’s office reported.

According to the investigation, in 2021, the state port enterprise, after holding a tender, concluded a contract with a private company for the supply of electricity with a total value of over 21 million UAH.

The former chief engineer was responsible for organizing and monitoring the tender, as well as for the effective use of the enterprise’s funds. The deputy head of the port monitored the implementation of the contract, signed acts of acceptance and transfer of electricity and documents for its payment.

Law enforcement officials claim that officials knew about the terms of the concluded contract, but in 2021–2022 they approved documents with an inflated cost of electricity.

In particular, in May 2021, the port purchased electricity almost 1.5 times more expensive than stipulated in the contract. In December 2021, as well as in January and February 2022, the price, according to the investigation, was more than doubled.

The examination established that as a result of such actions, the state enterprise suffered almost UAH 1 million in losses.

USM also previously wrote that the Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Office and NABU completed the investigation into the case of the misappropriation of millions of funds by the State Enterprise “Izmail Sea Commercial Port” during public procurement.