The owner of the Southern Highway was suspected of having built an "exemplary" water pipeline to Kryvyi Rih
Five individuals have been reported under suspicion in the case of the misappropriation of over UAH 240 million allocated for the construction of a water pipeline to Kryvyi Rih after the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station. The National Police and the Prosecutor General's Office reported this.
The construction of the Ingulets – Southern Reservoir water pipeline was carried out by one of the largest road construction companies in Ukraine, Avtomagistral-South.
According to the prosecutor's office, suspicions were raised against the owner and representative of the company, as well as engineering and technical employees of the controlled enterprises.
The owner of Automagistral-Puzden, one of the largest contractors of the state program "Great Construction", is Ukrainian businessman Oleksandr Boyko.
According to the investigation, the company purchased building materials through controlled companies at inflated prices, overpaying more than 40% of the market value.
Fictitious commercial offers were included in the documentation, and inflated calculations were made even at the stage of drawing up the estimate, the prosecutor's office notes.
In total, according to the National Police, the company received about UAH 7.4 billion in state funds into its accounts. So far, the investigation has confirmed the misappropriation of at least UAH 240 million.
The suspects are charged with taking someone else's property during martial law on a particularly large scale (Part 5, Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The issue of choosing a preventive measure for them is currently being decided.
On Wednesday, June 18, Automagistral-Puzden announced searches of its offices and employees' homes. The company denies any involvement in illegal schemes and links these events to competition in the infrastructure construction market.
"The cynicism of the situation is that the Inhulets – Southern Reservoir water main is an exemplary facility. Automagistral-South fulfilled the terms of the contract, and the state did not overpay a single hryvnia," the company wrote .
- After the Russians blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, more than one and a half million people were left without water supply – 15 territorial communities of Kryvyi Rih were affected.
- Construction of the water pipeline from scratch began immediately after the terrorist attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station. The work was carried out around the clock.
- Water reached Kryvyi Rih 11 months after the start of construction, when the second line was launched in May.
