"Didn’t notice" the price hike of half a million: the court awaits the head of the research institution.

The director of a state scientific institution in Kharkiv is set to face trial – this facility was previously subjected to shelling by the Russian Federation, the regional prosecutor's office clarified.

“According to the investigation, in December 2022, a contract was signed between the state scientific institution located in Kharkiv and an entrepreneur for the repair of a building damaged by shelling from the Russian armed forces. The unscrupulous contractor sought to profit from this situation and included deliberately false information regarding the costs in the acceptance acts of the completed work. In particular, he provided incorrect data about the materials used – bricks – and inflated the prices on paper for insulation, reinforced concrete slabs, etc.,” law enforcement officials clarified.

However, the director of the institution allegedly “did not notice” the price inflation, according to the prosecutor's office.

“At the same time, according to the working project developed by another company, and the consolidated estimate of construction costs, the defendant was aware of the market prices for the necessary materials. However, he chose to ignore this information,” the prosecutor's office emphasized.

As a result, the total damage to the institution is estimated at nearly half a million hryvnias. Currently, law enforcement has already sent the indictment to the court. If the director's guilt is proven, he faces a prison sentence of two to five years, along with a fine and a ban on holding certain positions or engaging in specific activities for up to three years. Meanwhile, the prosecutor's office added that the case concerning the contractor is already in court.