The Slobozhansky village council concluded construction contracts worth UAH 282 million, attracting funds from international partners (the European Investment Bank) and the state budget. Only a partial analysis of these procurements showed overpricing by UAH 16 million.
So, let’s look at a few examples of how the European Investment Bank’s funds are misused and what other typical abuses occur. We will also talk about the reaction of law enforcement and the inaction of the DASU regarding potential corruption at Slobozhansky under the leadership of Ivan Kaminsky.
Construction of an administrative services center and a hospital with a trail of corruption
In early 2024, Tellor Group, a company associated with the Dubinsky brothers, began construction of the Administrative Service Center in Slobozhanske (UA-2023-12-12-018447-a).
The company is also building a hospital in the village of Oleksandrivka (UA-2023-12-12-015080-a).
During this time, almost nothing has been done on both procurements.
Instead, “GromKontrol” found a number of facts that may indicate corruption in the Slobozhanska community.
Fact 1. Overpricing by 30-50%.
Officials of the Slobozhansky village council may be involved in corruption with European partners’ money. In some cases, prices for certain materials were overstated by 50% (according to the acts of work performed).
In the case of the administrative services center, we analyzed the certificates of completion for 11 items worth UAH 2 million. Overpayments amounted to UAH 550 thousand. Prices were overpriced by 38% compared to market prices.
For example, 204 blocks for the foundation of the future administrative building were purchased by Tellor Group LLC at UAH 2787 per unit.
While the market price for such a block is UAH 2050.
As a result, 36% more was paid from the budget than could have been paid. The situation is the same for the other ten procurements.
The construction of a hospital in Oleksandrivka village is not lagging behind in the race to “cut” budget funds.
An analysis of the Certificates of Completion for 6 items worth UAH 1.1 million shows that the state suffered UAH 366 thousand in losses.
Overpayments compared to market prices amount to 50%.
For example, Tellor-Group LLC paid UAH 4460 for a cubic meter of concrete mix, although the same concrete can be bought on the market for UAH 2850 per cubic meter. The overpayment is 56%.
Fact 2. Contractor’s security for UAH 5 million: the money did not go to the community budget due to the actions of officials
Officials of the Slobozhansky village council refused two bank guarantees to secure a contract worth UAH 5.1 million in favor of Tellor Group LLC.
Administrative services center in the village of Slobozhanske – UAH 3 340 537. The hospital in the village of Oleksandrivka – UAH 1 788 813. What is this if not corrupt activities of officials in the Slobozhanska community?
In August 2024, the parties terminated both contracts.
However, the terms of the contract stipulated that if the contractor did not fulfill the contract, its funds to secure the contract should have been transferred to the customer.
However, the customer did not take the necessary steps to get the UAH 5.1 million back.
Natalia Plyushiy, an official of the Slobozhansky village council, asked the bank to return UAH 5 129 350 of the bank guarantee of Tellor Group LLC.
This is a strange position. Maybe the company built everything and we didn’t notice? No. They just got their money back, even though they didn’t do anything and shouldn’t have gotten the Bank Guarantee back.
In fact, Natalia Plyushchiy refused to pay back the UAH 5,129,350 that Slobozhansky village council was supposed to receive.
Ivan Kaminsky, the head of the Slobozhansky village council, should have known about the refusal of the bank guarantee.
However, he did not take measures to ensure that the community he heads received an additional UAH 5 129 350 of the Bank’s guarantee. Even though this territorial community pays Ivan Kaminskyi UAH 1 425 732 in salary per year.
Such actions of officials may indicate their total incompetence or that corruption in the Slobozhanska community is a common occurrence.
DASU inaction and criminal cases
In fact, the contractor is disrupting contracts funded by European partners.
They should be held directly responsible for this:
1) Head of the Slobozhansky settlement council – Ivan Kaminsky.
2) Head of the Construction Department of the Slobozhansky settlement council – Natalia Plyushiy;
3) Head of the Procurement Sector of the Construction Department of the Slobozhansky Settlement Council – Maryna Hryshko.
Currently, law enforcement officers are investigating the facts of overpricing and strange manipulations with the funds to secure the contract (UAH 5.1 million).
Instead, the inaction of the DASU is surprising.
For six months of our appeals, the DASU has not been able to take effective measures and start inspections.
The DASU does not want to check the facts of overpricing in procurement. The DASU’s inaction actually facilitates alleged corruption in the Slobozhansky village council.
The Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, which selects the objects to which European funds are allocated, professes a similar position.
New tenders and overpricing
1) New tenders were held for the hospital and administrative services center at the end of 2024. SAKTI PLUS LLC (30192710) was supposed to build the administrative services center for UAH 64 147 255, and the hospital was to be built by DNIPROYUZHSTROY-P.G.S. LLC (43052586) for UAH 33 425 655.52.
However, a partial analysis of prices in these procurements based on estimates shows an overestimation of prices by UAH 6.3 million.
2) Already in 2025, a new contract for UAH 167 million was signed with the involvement of European partners for the reconstruction of two buildings of the Slobozhanska Central Hospital (UA-2024-10-25-008906-a).
In this procurement, we partially analyzed the prices according to the estimate and found an overestimation of almost UAH 8 million.
Instead of conclusions:
1) Procurement at overpriced prices will lead to the fact that we will have to pay this money in the future, because these are loan funds allocated to Ukraine.
2) The European Investment Bank, because of such misuse of money, may not only suspend the allocation of funds for these facilities to the Slobozhansky village council, but also revise the conditions for allocating funds to the Dnipropetrovs’k region or Ukraine in general.
3) We should not forget the heroes who have such a positive attitude towards European money (Ivan Kaminsky, Natalia Plyushiy, Maryna Hryshko, Victoria Glinka).
It will also be interesting:
Embezzlement of European funds in the Troitska community in the Dnipropetrovsk region
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This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union and National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Its contents are the sole responsibility of Civil Control Platform and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union and NED.