VIP-cabin and luxury real estate in Odessa: how did the head of the MPSS Sudarev enrich himself?
Purchases at high prices, schemes involving scrap metal, and high salaries: journalists examined the probable origins of the wealth of the head of the MPSS Sudarev
Reporters found hidden sources of income for officials of the Maritime Patrol and Rescue Service
Are the rescuers or the corrupt officials? Despite a significant war and the blockage of the Ukrainian Black Sea by the enemy, officials of Ukraine’s specialized structures continue to get rich and show off a luxurious lifestyle, despite a history of criminal activity. One notable example is the MPSS in the Odessa region, consistently led by Viktor Sudarev since the days of Yanukovych.
Where does the chief of the Maritime Search and Rescue Service Sudarev acquire numerous luxury homes and who funds alcohol tours for officials on rescue boats? The journalist delved into this.Stopbark» Artem Polikovsky.
What is the Maritime Search and Rescue Service and who is in charge of it?
The Maritime Search and Rescue Service, or MSS, was established in late 2011 by the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine. This state-owned enterprise is located in the village of Aleksandrovka in the Odessa region. It is dedicated to providing constant readiness for water rescue, emergency medical care, and safe evacuations. critical enterprise works in constant readiness to rescue people on the water, provide them with emergency medical care and evacuate to a safe place.
“You may have seen their red ships off the coast of Odessa or the surrounding region. These specialists are often the first to respond to SOS calls and monitor the passage of nearly every vessel within their area of responsibility in Ukraine. It turns out that this inconspicuous yet strategic enterprise is a hub for clandestine profiteering,‘, the investigator remarked.
Since its inception in 2011 under the leadership of Viktor Yanukovych, Viktor Sudarev has almost continuously been at the helm. Interestingly, there is little official information available about Sudarev's background, apart from numerous corruption allegations and reports of dismissals. scandals, suspicion from law enforcement and able Sudarev.
Viktor Sudarev has been involved in a number of corruption scandals
It's worth noting that Viktor Sudarev has not publicly addressed these alleged schemes uncovered by journalists or law enforcement. Nonetheless, the StopCore team of legal experts and analysts managed to uncover supporting information and communicate with current and former MPSS staff.
Viktor Sudarev. What do we know about the workings of the MPSS from the inside?
Anatoly Drozd, head of the labor union at the state-owned enterprise Marine Search and Rescue Service, has been with the organization since its inception. He shared insights into the situation within the enterprise and some of Sudarev's management techniques and attributes with StopKor.
Anatoly Drozd, leader of the MPSS trade union
“Regarding his professional qualities, he has quit his job multiple times due to inefficient use of state property and violating anti-corruption laws. There is documentation that he is included in the register of corrupt officials. In terms of his professional abilities, he lacks knowledge of international regulations and Ukrainian databases for search and rescue. He also does not speak the required languages for this position”, comments the trade union leader.
Viktor Sudarev. What anti-corruption scandals are we talking about?
One of the most notable scandals involving MPSS, led by Sudarev, is the purchase of a rescue ship for nearly 5.5 million euros. According to maritime experts, this price is significantly inflated. This pertains to the order of the vessel Patrol 26 WP SAR from the Estonian company Baltic Workboats AS.
“There are no specific prices for Patrol 26 WP SAR vessels in open sources, but in 2019, German customs ordered three smaller Patrol 24 WP vessels from the same manufacturer for 11 million euros, which is 3.67 million euros each. It is estimated that it costs around 4 million euros. The question then arises: where will the difference between the cost and the purchase price go? This amounts to roughly 1-1.5 million euros”, notes Nikolai Melnik, an expert from the Leviathan analytical group.
Commentary by the expert of the analytical group “Leviathan” Nikolay Melnyk
He draws attention to a revealing comparison: Ukraine acquired a powerful British icebreaker for $5 million, while MPRS decided to purchase a regular boat from Estonians for $6 million. According to the analyst, this is an irrational use of public funds, especially considering that Ukraine has its own boat manufacturing capacity.
Furthermore, as the trade union chairman points out, there was no need to purchase this boat at all. Despite this, the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Yuri Vaskov approved the agreement and allocated 5.3 million euros to MPSS for it. Moreover, according to experts, the tender itself was conducted with violations, as non-competitive requirements were stipulated in the conditions.
This is not an isolated case: in fact, there were at least several such “schemes”.
“Tender purchases have always been an area where dishonest participants tried to take advantage of public funds… It has always been an area of speculation and an opportunity for some companies to benefit from public procurement”, — notes analyst Anastasia Bondarenko.
The journalist also discovered that MPSS bought cars at double the price, and the ships were sold for scrap, resulting in the loss of several hundred tons.
“As indicated on the Prozorro page, MPSS intends to spend 1.3 million hryvnias on disposing of its decommissioned vessels. In return, they will also receive some proceeds from the sale of 643.6 tons of scrap metal, which will be carried out by a private contractor, LLC Ship Repair Service. The decommissioned fleet weighs a bit more, but it's all smoke and mirrors. Furthermore, the tender conditions clearly state that the weight of scrap metal is conditionalNikolai Melnik said that.
Additionally, Anatoly Drozd mentioned that a armored jeep was bought for the company during the war, but none of the service workers saw it.
And how is Viktor Sudarev doing?
According to public information, Viktor Sudarev owns two apartments in Odessa totaling 204.5 sq. m, a large mansion in Odessa measuring 1018.6 sq. m for his wife, and three land plots totaling over 3.8 thousand square meters. Also, the family uses a 69.1 square meter Odessa apartment assigned to a relative.
“We also discovered a large house over 1000 square meters in the video from Sudarev’s daughter's wedding, which was quite extravagant. Ksenia Sudareva married Vadim Korenny, a former NABU employee. Based on a study by journalists, the wedding and the lifestyle of the newlyweds do not match the officials' declaration.Artyom Polikovsky stated.
Sudarev’s daughter's wedding was characterized as "large-scale."
Another interesting point concerns Sudarev’s strong interest in the Sapphire rescue boat, which was captured by the Russians near Serpent’s Island. Huge amounts of money are written off for the fuel of the Sapphire, which supposedly is used for training. Additionally, the ship allegedly has a special cabin for the official himself.
“This is not publicly promoted, but I have personally been on the Sapphire numerous times and they showed me the VIP cabin of the ship owner. Many service cabins were converted into this cabin, it's like a 5-star hotel with modern furniture, a large plasma TV, a luxurious double bed, and dishes. While the crew members stay in old Soviet-style booths and share a common toilet. There are also parties held in this cabin.The head of the union mentioned.
The rescue boat is called "Sapphire."
This information was also confirmed to journalists by the former captain of the Sapphire, who no longer works in the MPS.
However, there is more: there is also a criminal aspect in this story, including treason.
Vladimir Rabotnev, Mr. Sudarev’s deputy, served time in prison for disclosing secret information obtained in the course of his official duties. He was not imprisoned for minor theft, but for high treason.
Vladimir Rabotnev was suspected of revealing state secrets.
“The SBU completed the pre-trial investigation and sent a criminal case to court against the former Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications, who disclosed secret information learned during his official duties. Disclosing this information, considered a state secret in the field of economy, could have caused significant economic losses to the country's national security.”, — says stated a press release on the Rabotnev case.
Despite his criminal history, Mr. Rabotnev continues to work for the state and receives a salary from the state budget.
“In this case, in my opinion, the responsibility for hiring, as well as further activities, the performance of functional duties and the non-recurrence of similar situations, is entirely on the person who accordingly decided to hire this person. In a situation where the country is at war, our legislation on the disclosure of state secrets is quite liberal and democratic. And given the difficult situation, there is a need to review and create tougher sanctions for these crimes. ”, – says lawyer Sergei Rudenko.
Moreover, according to insiders, against the background of the war, the leadership of the MPSS continues to receive state salaries of 300,000 hryvnias and issue “space” bonuses to itself.
Is it really true?
The editors of StopKor planned to talk about this with Sudarev and Rabotnev personally. But both officials are out of the country.
So, Viktor Sudarev is in Estonia, where he went on a working visit before the New Year. According to the documents, he personally supervises the construction of a new rescue boat.
But Vladimir Rabotnev is on vacation, and also resting abroad. By phone, the exact dates of their absence could not be reported to journalists.
Thus, the investigators transferred all the revealed facts to law enforcement agencies. We hope that the leadership of the Ministry of Infrastructure will also respond appropriately. After all, at a time when dozens of searches and detentions stirred up the whole country, in this story, the relevant Deputy Minister Yuri Vaskov and law enforcement officers do not seem to see the egregious facts of abuse.
Recall that Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Yuri Vaskov, who is believed to have had a hand in the adoption of the dubious Decree No. 1499, recently “lit up” in another raiding scandal. The ex-wife of an official, Maria Kovylina, with the support of a private security structure, is trying to take away office space in the center of Odessa from her retired spouses: Odessa residents are threatened with forceful actions and influential connections.
Hope Rogalskaya
