AnTAC achieved termination of 42 million UAH contract: authorities tried to pay twice for the same road repairs

Anticorruption Action Center has achieved the cancellation of a tender worth more than 42 million UAH. The authorities wanted to spend this money on already paid repair of roads in Ternopil region.

Thus, in June this year the Department of Capital Construction of the Ternopil Regional State Administration announced a tender for road repairs in region with expected value of 42 744 800 UAH. However, as journalists have found out, repair of these roads was indicated in previously signed contracts.

AntAC lawyers found out that the Road Service in Ternopil Region in the period from May 30, 2018 till July 9, 2018 concluded 178 contracts worth 27 023 364 UAH with BMBud LLC. This is confirmed by reports of executed contracts on “Prozorro”. It is interesting that 119 out of 178 contracts completely coincide with segments of roads, repairs of which were included into a new tender.

“It is obvious that such circumstances point to unjustified and irrational use of state funds. It is understandable that no one will repair the same road twice”, – commented AntAC lawyer Oleksandr Lytvyn.

AntAC lawyers appealed to the State Audit Service regarding this issue. Lawyers were informed that the State Audit Service was not authorized to carry out a procurement examination, however, they sent a letter of recommendation to the Ternopil Regional State Administration with a request to eliminate detected violations. Also, the State Audit Service sent information about this tender to the Police. After that it became known from “Prozorro” that tender was canceled because of “impossibility to eliminate the violation”.