The bribe-taker and his team: how MP Odarchenko activates Hrytskov for manual control of the SBITU and what the embezzlement in the construction of the oncology center has to do with it

The Kharkiv Oncology Center, which was supposed to become a symbol of modern Ukrainian medicine, has turned into a scandalous long-term construction project. And the people who supervised its construction are now involved in new corruption stories – no longer in the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, but in the State Biotechnological University. Read how the construction of the oncology center is connected with the SBU in the UNN material.

The oncology center in Kharkiv was planned as a key medical facility for cancer patients from all over Eastern Ukraine. Its construction began in 2019, according to the project of LLC "Institute Kharkivproekt". The first contractor for the construction was PJSC "Trust Zhytlobud – 1". However, a year later it turned out that the project needed to be adjusted, so the contract with the contractor was terminated. A year of fruitless work cost the budget UAH 57.25 million. The next contractor in 2020 was the company PE "ROMB+". And in 2021, after the construction of the oncology center was included in the presidential program "Great Construction", another contractor (directly related to "ROMB+") was chosen – the Consortium "Romb Inc.". However, in 2022, Kharkiv Regional State Administration terminated the contract with both contractors. With PE "ROMB+" – due to disruption of deadlines and violation of contract terms, as the total amount of work performed was less than 40% of the planned. At the time of termination of the contract, the company had already received payment in the amount of UAH 157.82 million. And with "Romb Inc." the contract was terminated by agreement of the parties with zero payment.

The general contractor did not properly fulfill its obligations and systematically violated the terms of the contract, including those regarding the deadlines for performing work, non-use of advance budget funds. In addition, the general contractor prevented the customer of the construction from monitoring the progress, cost and scope of work and did not inform the latter about the progress of work.

However, many questions remained behind the scenes of the project – first of all, whether the contractors who "drained" the oncology center's budget will be held accountable, which officials will answer for the tens of millions of hryvnias spent that were not reflected in the construction stages, and which officials coordinated the financial flows?

NACP found violations in Ruslan Tikhonchenko's declaration

During the active construction of the oncology center (2019-2021), Ruslan Tikhonchenko was the deputy head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration – he was the one who supervised a number of infrastructure projects in the region.

At this time, according to the NACP, 20 bitcoins appeared in Tikhonchenko's declaration, which at the time of filing the declaration were worth UAH 2 million 100 thousand – an asset, the ownership of which he could not confirm with documents. The NACP saw signs of a criminal offense in this and handed over the materials to law enforcement agencies.

Formally, there is no direct evidence of a connection between the money "missing" from the oncology center and the official's crypto assets. But it is important to note that cryptocurrency is often used to legalize illegal assets, including budget funds withdrawn from tenders or contract work.

Another fact indicating that Ruslan Tikhonchenko may be involved in the embezzlement of money from the construction of the oncology center is that after the NACP discovered bitcoins in his declaration, he, according to media reports, left Ukraine and is now in Germany. It should be noted that before fleeing Ukraine, Tikhonchenko held the position of acting rector of the SBU. However, we will return to this fact of his biography later.

Yevhen Hrytskov – former KhODA official and Tikhonchenko's associate, who is applying for the position of rector of the SBU

In parallel with Tikhonchenko, during the same period, Yevhen Hrytskov worked in the Kharkiv Regional State Administration. He was also part of the administration's management team. According to UNN sources, Hrytskov was close to both Tikhonchenko and Andriy Odarchenko – a people's deputy, head of the Academic Council of the SBU, sentenced by the High Anti-Corruption Court to 8 years in prison for attempting to bribe the then head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development Mustafa Nayyem with 50 thousand dollars in cryptocurrency. According to detectives, the deputy offered a bribe in exchange for assistance in allocating funds from the Fund for the Elimination of the Consequences of Russian Aggression for the repair of the State Biotechnological University headed by Odarchenko.

After Odarchenko fled abroad, according to journalists, he is trying to maintain influence over the university through controlled persons. In particular, the fugitive bribe-taker Odarchenko is trying to promote his associate Yevhen Hrytskov to the position of rector of the SBU. A person who, probably, has been tested not only by time, but also by common corruption schemes.

Moreover, according to UNN, the SBU has even prepared a sign "Yevhen Hrytskov, acting rector of the SBU". Although the official appointment of the new acting rector of the State Biotechnological University by the Ministry of Education and Science has not yet taken place. We also note that the powers of the current acting rector of the SBU Andriy Kudryashov expire on November 7.

From "Great Construction" to university schemes: how Kharkiv officials maintain control over budgets

At first glance, the oncology center and the university are different stories. However, the common denominator is the same figures who have been revolving around Kharkiv's budget flows for years. Tikhonchenko supervised the construction of the medical facility, then became acting rector of the SBU, which became the center of another corruption scandal. Odarchenko, the elected rector of the SBU and head of the Academic Council, has a conviction for a cryptocurrency bribe. Hrytskov is the current contender for the rector's chair, who worked alongside Tikhonchenko in the KhODA.

Thus, the schemes for the construction of the oncology center and the financing of the university may be connected through a common management vertical and former officials who are now acting from abroad, but have not lost their influence.

The history of the Kharkiv Oncology Center is not just about an unfinished medical facility. It is about an entire system of interdependencies in which former officials continue to influence educational and infrastructure projects even after a prison sentence.

So, today the state, in the person of the Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi, faces two questions:

• Why does Odarchenko, convicted of corruption, still have leverage over the SBU, and why has his contract not been terminated?
• How to eradicate Odarchenko's influence on the SBU and prevent people associated with the fugitive bribe-taker from holding leadership positions?