Law enforcement officers are investigating a case of possible embezzlement of budget funds during the construction of a radiation shelter for one of the city schools. According to the investigation, the contractor received more than UAH 5.7 million for work that was actually not performed.
This is reported by Anticorruption Measure with reference to a court ruling.
It concerns the construction of a protective structure on the grounds of School No. 41 in Kherson.
According to Anticorruption Measure, the suspect in the case was LLC “Megaplan Fast”, with which in April this year the Kherson City Council’s Capital Construction Department concluded a contract.
The contractor was supposed to complete the work by the end of August, however already in May, according to the investigation, company representatives submitted to the customer an act of completed works in which they claimed to have allegedly performed part of the construction work. On May 19, 2025 the act was handed over to the customer, and on May 21 the Capital Construction Department paid the contractor UAH 5.7 million.
During an inspection with a visit to the construction site, initiated by the Capital Construction Department itself, it turned out that the works listed in the act were actually not carried out. The contract was later terminated due to non-performance of the work within the established deadlines, and the shelter was not put into operation, the publication writes.
The procurement was financed with funds from the European Union under the Ukraine Facility program. Due to suspicion of embezzlement of property on an especially large scale, the court allowed investigators to obtain access to the contractor’s bank secrecy regarding its accounts.
A number of examinations have been appointed, in particular forensic economic and handwriting examinations. Law enforcement officers plan to establish the circle of persons involved in decision-making on payments and to check financial transactions for signs of fictitiousness.
Recall that the “underground school” on the grounds of School No. 41 was supposed to be built by the scandalously notorious Kherson LLC “Budpostach-STS V”, but after the detention of its head Oleksandr Novokhatsky the contract with the company was terminated and another contractor was found – LLC “Megaplan Fast”.
According to MOST, this company shows all signs of being fictitious, and is also connected with the former leadership of Kherson.
Earlier it was reported that in June the construction of the “underground schools” was put on hold. The head of the Kherson MVA, Yaroslav Shanko, explained this by the need to check the situation and the expediency of the construction.