The mayor of the Izmail district of the Odessa region was caught taking a bribe using a cryptographic scheme
The Prosecutor General’s Office reported the exposure of the mayor of one of the cities of the Izmail district of the Odessa region, who is suspected of extorting and receiving illegal benefits in an especially large amount. According to data of the investigation, the official created artificial obstacles for investors who planned to build a wind farm.
A Ukrainian company and an investor from the UK intended to implement an alternative energy project in the Odessa region. To do this, the entrepreneurs needed to obtain a warrant to remove green spaces along the access roads.
“The issue was of critical importance. The Odessa region is one of the regions of the country most affected by Russian attacks”, — noted the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Ruslan Kravchenko.
According to the investigation, the mayor deliberately delayed the issuance of documents, citing the lack of environmental inspectors, the employment of specialized workers, and problems with electricity in the city council. The company even donated three generators to the institution as charity, but this did not speed up the process.
“But the mayor of one of the cities in the Izmail district, instead of supporting the project, decided to profit from it”, — Kravchenko emphasized.
During a meeting in a restaurant, the official, according to law enforcement officers, named the amount of $ 30 thousand for signing documents, and later increased the demand to $ 35 thousand. To hide the receipt of funds, he allegedly used an intermediary and a scheme to convert cash into cryptocurrency through an exchanger in Odessa.
After the first tranche of $ 10 thousand, the process of issuing a warrant intensified. The remaining $ 25 thousand was to be transferred according to a similar scheme. After receiving the entire amount, the official was detained.
The prosecutor’s office is preparing a petition to the court to impose a preventive measure and remove the suspect from office. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.
