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Airport officials in conspiracy with the general contractor controlled by them unreasonably transferred the money to bogus firms.
Officers of the SBU Security Service of Ukraine have raided municipally owned Odesa International Airport and exposed a corruption scheme when over UAH 11 million (US$459,098) was embezzled with involvement of a general contractor engaged in airport reconstruction.
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"A suspicion notice was issued to the head of the general contractor's commercial entity under Part 5 of Article 191 (misappropriation, embezzlement or conversion of property by malversation) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," the press service of the SBU in Odesa region told UNIAN on December 2.
In particular, SBU officers found that airport officials in conspiracy with the general contractor controlled by them unreasonably transferred the money to bogus firms.
The firms were registered as subcontractors, while acts of acceptance of work and services that were not actually performed were signed with them.
"Thus, the perpetrators embezzled more than UAH 11 million while the total budget of the project was UAH 38.2 million [US$1.6 million). According to experts, the poorly performed works could have posed a threat to the life and health of passengers at the airport," the press service added.
But the risk was eliminated due to the operation conducted by the SBU's economic security department.
The searches took place at the airport's territory and in the defendants' offices late last week, the SBU told UNIAN.
Stamps, documentation and electronic media containing information about illegal financial and economic transactions were seized during the operation, which was supervised by the General Prosecutor's Office.
According to the mayor's office of Odesa, the funds were embezzled in 2016.
UNIAN memo. Odesa International Airport is among Ukraine's largest airports and is connected by air services with many cities of Ukraine, the CIS, as well as countries of Western Europe, Asia, and Africa.