The state budget suffered losses of 1 billion: the National Police commented on the searches of the largest contractor of the Big Construction
The National Police conducted a large-scale search of the road construction company “Automagistral-Pivden”, which is a key contractor of the “Big Construction” state program. The searches affected both the company’s office premises and the private homes of its employees and their cars. Investigative actions took place with the participation of employees of the main investigative department of the National Police and the Department of Strategic Investigations.
According to the official information, the searches are related to the investigation into the tender procedures in which “Automagistral-Pyuzhden” participated through the Prozorro system. The company assured that there are no complaints about the quality or cost of the work performed, and they regard the actions of the law enforcement officers as “classic raiding”. In their opinion, the investigators are trying to intimidate employees and destabilize the company’s work. The management of “Automagistral-Pivden” plans to file a complaint with the Office of the Prosecutor General and the Council of the Business Ombudsman.
At the same time, the National Police confirmed the searches, noting that the company is suspected of violating tender procedures and overestimating the cost of works in various regions of Ukraine. According to the investigation, the company’s management artificially inflated prices through material supply chains, entered false data into the acts of completed works, which led to losses for the state budget of more than 1 billion hryvnias.
The police emphasized that the searches were urgent due to the risk of destruction of documents that could be evidence in the case. During the searches, documents and digital media with information important for the investigation were seized. In addition, several construction and technical examinations have been appointed to establish the real value of the services provided by the company.
Despite the investigative actions, the company’s work was not stopped – it continues to perform its functions as usual. At the same time, the investigation continues as part of a criminal case on charges of fraud (Part 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code) and legalization of criminal proceeds (Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code).
According to Forbes, “Automagistral-Pivden” is the leading contractor within the framework of the “Big Construction” initiative, having won tenders for 28.8 billion hryvnias in 2020. This is almost equal to the sum of the tender wins of the three closest competitors combined. The owner of the company since 2023 is businessman Oleksandr Boyko.
