An investigation is underway in Mykolaiv into the alleged misappropriation of nearly ₴200 million in the electric transport passenger services sector

The municipal enterprise «Mykolaivelektrotrans». Photo: NikVesti

The police are investigating alleged professional negligence by officials at the municipal enterprise «Mykolaivelektrotrans». The case concerns the possible misappropriation of nearly 200 million hryvnias for passenger transport services by trams and trolleybuses between 2022 and 2025.

This is evidenced by data in a ruling by the Novo-Odesa District Court of the Mykolaiv region, NikVesti reports.

Under the terms of a 2020 agreement between the city council and the municipal enterprise, the city compensates the enterprise for the difference between the actual cost of transport services and the operator’s own revenue. This includes, in particular, funds from ticket sales and profits from other commercial activities. The amount of compensation is determined based on figures from the same period last year. The cost of transport services is calculated using a special tariff: by multiplying the volume of transport work carried out by the cost per kilometre of travel by tram or trolleybus.

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At the same time, between 2022 and 2025, the parties concluded additional agreements providing for a reduction in the volume of transport services. However, as noted in the ruling, this did not lead to a reduction in funding for the company.

Furthermore, investigators claim that, according to the work completion certificates, the amount allocated to the electric transport company from the budget was determined without taking into account the company’s own revenue from ticket sales and other activities.

Thus, according to the investigation, 196 million 836 thousand hryvnias were transferred from the Mykolaiv budget to the electric transport company. In 2022, this amount was 35.8 million hryvnias, in 2023 — 49.3 million hryvnias, in 2024 — 48.8 million hryvnias, and in 2025 — 62.9 million hryvnias.

The court granted investigators permission to seize the originals of contracts, agreements, certificates of completion and budget requests. In addition, investigators requested access to documents signed by the deputy heads of the municipal enterprise for the purpose of conducting forensic examinations.

As a reminder, residents of Mykolaiv had previously complained about the ‘dead’ routes operated by «Mykolaivelektrotrans».