The new suspects include a former deputy chair of the
Poltava Oblast Council, a Poltava City Council member, a city official and two
representatives of contracting companies.
Investigators allege that officials in the Poltava City
Council’s Housing and Utilities Department conspired with the former deputy
chair of the oblast council and two city council members to systematically
demand and receive bribes from contractors.
Officials demanded kickbacks equal to 10% of the value of
contracts for maintenance and routine repairs of local roads. The total amount
of illicit payments received exceeded UAH 29.9 million.
In June, NABU and SAPO said they had uncovered a road repair
kickback scheme in Poltava involving a city council member and municipal
officials. At the time, a Poltava City Council member, a city official and two
representatives of contracting businesses were formally named as suspects.
On Oct. 24, 2025, Ukraine’s SBU Security Service said law
enforcement had uncovered an illegal cash-conversion operation with UAH 15
billion in turnover that operated with the involvement of the former head of
the State Tax Service and a former deputy head of the Main Tax Department in
Poltava Oblast.
The SBU said the former officials facilitated the operation
and ensured decisions were made in favor of “preferred” companies. The National
Anti-Corruption Bureau added that
as a result of the scheme, legitimate businesses wrongfully failed to pay UAH
147 million into the state budget.