Poltava Mayor receives 5-year suspended sentence

The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine sentenced Poltava Mayor Oleksandr Mamai to a five-year suspended sentence and a fine of Hr 2 million ($50,000) that will be transferred to the Armed Forces.

According to the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, the court found Mamai guilty of abuse of office and forgery. The actions resulted in losses of over Hr 570,000 ($15,431) to the local budget.

According to the investigation, Mamai plotted with the director and accountant of the local Institute of City Development and employed two people who did not actually work there. They were instead providing household services for Mamai.

In order to pay their “salaries,” officials were providing false information.

Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said that "considering the fact that the mayor compensated the damages and fully admits his guilt," his sentence was suspended, while he will remain on probation and deprived of the right to hold office for one year.

The other defendants in the case also pleaded guilty and entered into agreements with the prosecutors. The two accomplices were sentenced to five years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of one year and the deprivation of the right to hold office.

Poltava's mayor has been a subject of controversy due to his corruption scandals and his pro-Russian views. Prior, the Security Service of Ukraine on Dec. 29 charged Mamai with divulging the positions of Ukrainian troops.