In the Mykolaiv region, auditors are investigating the procurement of meat for schools worth nearly ₴718 thousand

In Mykolaiv region, auditors are investigating the procurement of meat for schools worth nearly ₴718,000. Photo: NikVesti archive

The State Audit Service has launched an investigation into the procurement of meat for educational institutions in the Berezanka community in Mykolaiv region. The contract, worth nearly ₴718 thousand, was awarded to a businesswoman who had registered her company less than three weeks before the contract was signed.

This is evidenced by data from the Prozorro system, according to NikVesti.

On 5 October, the Department of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport of the Berezan Town Council signed a contract with sole trader Larysa Kochetkova for the supply of chicken, pork and beef to the community’s educational institutions.

The value of the procurement is 717,994 hryvnias. The supplier was selected without a competitive tender, as previous open tenders did not take place due to a lack of participants.

On 19 October, the Southern Office of the State Audit Service in Mykolaiv region launched an audit of the procurement. The auditors requested an explanation from the contracting authority regarding how the cost of the products was calculated.

As noted by the publication «Anticorruption Dimension», Larysa Kochetkova registered as a sole trader on 17 September 2026. However, the contract states that its terms apply to relations between the parties that arose as early as 1 September.

According to the publication, during the first three weeks following her registration, the entrepreneur received 19 contracts from the Education Department of the Berezanka City Council totalling 2.53 million hryvnias.

Journalists also drew attention to the cost of individual products. In particular, chicken fillet under the contract costs 224 hryvnias 85 kopiikas per kilogramme, whilst another customer in the Mykolaiv region purchased similar products for 188 hryvnias in September.

As a reminder, NikVesti previously reported that a case had been referred to court in the Mykolaiv region concerning the procurement of generators for resilience centres in the Berezan community at allegedly inflated prices.