Following convictions by the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine, the former deputy head of electric company Kharkivvoblenergo and former director of water company Kharkivvodokanal were given jail sentences of five and four years, respectively.
This was announced by the press service of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office on Facebook.
The two executives were prosecuted under anti-corruption laws following allegations of receiving third-party payments and entering into a tripartite agreement which led to company losses amounting to more than $670,000.
Both public officials were found guilty under part 2 of Art. 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and have been deprived of the right to hold corporate positions or engage in certain activities for a period of up to three years. Both also received fines of Hr 17,000 or $630.
The convicted executives can appeal their sentence within 30 days.
Ukraine has a long history of corruption in the public utilities sector. In a 2019 scandal, regional gas distributor Kirovogradgaz embezzled around $2.83 million as part of a scheme to steal and resell subsidized consumer gas to industrial concerns.
