The roof is leaking after major repairs: Stop Corruption journalists studied the situation in Kharkiv employment service institutions

StopKor journalists visited the Kharkiv City Employment Center in connection with complaints about a leaking roof in the building after a recent major renovation carried out at state expense. During the visit, they spoke with Tetyana Filippova, the deputy head of the Kharkiv branch of the regional employment center, who assured them that there was no official information about the emergency condition of the building. She also noted that the branch was not responsible for the repairs carried out and recommended contacting the regional employment center.

The journalists’ attempt to record the condition of the roof was unsuccessful, as they were refused, citing the need to obtain permission from the regional leadership. In this regard, the StopKor team visited the Kharkiv Regional Employment Center to get a comment from its director, Oleksandr Kotukov.

The director stated that problems with the roof had arisen even before his appointment, and his deputy had taken over the repairs. He emphasized that he was expressing a public position on the unsatisfactory quality of the work and had already appealed to the contractor, demanding that they eliminate the shortcomings. When asked about his role and the ethics of holding office during the investigation, Kotukov replied that he was acting as a witness in the case, not a suspect. At the same time, he refused journalists permission to inspect the roof, citing legal restrictions.

On the same day, the media also visited the Kharkiv Center for Vocational Education of the State Employment Service, where major repairs were also underway. Director Hanna Kalashnyk showed the renovated premises, which previously suffered from fungus, flooding, and lack of heating. She noted that in 2023, funds were spent on major repairs to bathrooms, workshops, and the replacement of heating systems.

Current repair work, carried out by full-time staff, continues at the educational institution. The management assures that despite all the difficulties, they are working to improve learning conditions.

According to journalists, the investigation has already been completed, an economic examination has been conducted, the losses have been established, and suspicions are being prepared for the responsible persons.

Media workers are monitoring the situation with employment centers in various regions of Ukraine. They plan further on-site inspections and appeals to law enforcement agencies, including the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Office of the President of Ukraine.

The Kharkiv Regional Employment Center, headed by Oleksandr Kotukov, found itself at the center of a criminal investigation due to abuses during the renovation of the building. Despite the funds spent, the roof was not correctly repaired, resulting in significant damage estimated at over a million hryvnias.

This is not the first time employment centers have become the target of scrutiny due to the actions of officials with a dubious reputation. Previously, there were reports of transactions involving millions of hryvnias in the Kyiv Employment Center, as well as other unpleasant scandals related to its line of business.

The StopKor team continues to investigate the activities of Oleksandr Kotukov and his colleagues, preparing new investigative issues. We urge everyone concerned about this situation to share information with the StopKor hotline at (044) 578 0004 or via email.

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