Businessman from Lviv region involved in corruption case in housing and communal services will be forcibly brought to court in Mykolaiv

The case is being heard by the Vitovsky District Court. Photo: NikVesti

The Vitovskyi District Court of Mykolaiv has ruled to compulsorily bring businessman Vasyl Protsyshyn, suspected of embezzling budget funds, to a court hearing.

This was reported by the correspondent of NikVesti.

As you know, Vasyl Protsyshyn lives in Drohobych, Lviv region. On 8 April, during searches at his place of residence, he obstructed law enforcement officers and did not open the door for three hours.

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The businessman did not appear at the hearing held yesterday, 15 April. The prosecution asked the court to postpone the hearing and filed a motion for a compulsory appearance.

«It was decided to involve the State Emergency Service, which unlocked the door at around 10am and entered the apartment where he was (we are talking about the searches on 8 April, — note) After he received a notice of suspicion and a request for a preventive measure, he told the investigator that he would not appear anywhere and did not believe that this suspicion was appropriate at all. I believe that there are now all the grounds to apply a compulsory detention to this suspect,» said prosecutor Volodymyr Kuznetsov.

Judge Serhii Hlubochenko granted the prosecutor's request, meaning that the businessman must appear at the next court hearing, where the court will choose a preventive measure against Vasyl Protsyshyn.

On 15 April, the Vitovskyi District Court of Mykolaiv imposed a preventive measure on suspected corrupt utility company owner Serhii Bezdolnyi in the form of arrest with the possibility of bail in excess of 4.9 million hryvnias.

On 9 April, it became known that Serhii Bezdolnyi, who works for the utility company «Self-supporting Construction Mechanisation Section» (hereinafter referred to as the SCMS), and businessman from Lviv region Vasyl Protsyshyn were notified of being suspected of misappropriating budget funds. He is charged with an offence under Part 4 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. He faces a prison sentence of 5 to 8 years. In addition to working for the utility company, Serhii Bezdolnyi is the brother of Dmytro Bezdolnyi, Director of the Housing and Communal Services Department of Mykolaiv City Council.

The money and documents that were seized. Photo: National Police

Money and documents that were seized. Photo: National Police

Money and documents that were seized. Photo: National Police

According to law enforcement officers, during the purchase of 65 street lighting control cabinets worth more than UAH 5.3 million, the budget of Mykolaiv lost almost 600,000 hryvbias due to the so-called «kickbacks» — 13% of the amount excluding VAT.

The director of Mykolaiv's Department of Housing and Communal Services, Dmytro Bezdolnyi, previously told NikVesti that he was considering resigning from his post for the duration of the investigation due to the suspicion served on his relative. It is worth noting that the wife of the director of Mykolaiv's housing and communal services department also works for the utility company where his brother is suspected of corruption.

The mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, promised to cooperate with the investigation in the case of corruption in street lighting.