Vladimir Titikalo, vice-rector of the National Medical University named after O.O. Bogomolts for economic issues, has become the second representative of the university's management to receive a suspicion notice from law enforcement as part of a criminal investigation into the theft of funds for repairs, UNN writes.
At the end of June, law enforcement announced the theft of 15 million hryvnias during the repair of the facade and roof of one of the buildings of the National Medical University named after O.O. Bogomolts. At that time, suspicion notices were served to three people, whom investigators call accomplices.
According to the case materials, in 2021, during the tender process, the appearance of competition between controlled enterprises was created. A predetermined company won the bidding. A contract was concluded with it, and the cost and volume of work performed in the documents were artificially inflated. The difference in money by the scheme participants was transferred to controlled companies and withdrawn as cash.
In this way, according to the investigation, the suspects managed to appropriate more than 15 million hryvnias.
As it became known, in August, as part of this criminal proceeding, Yuri Bogdan, deputy rector for economic affairs, received a suspicion notice. And now Vladimir Titikalo has come into the sights of law enforcement.
The rector signed the contract, but the deputies received suspicions
Yuri Bogdan is suspected of complicity in the embezzlement of budget funds in particularly large amounts. Regarding Titikalo, the details of his suspicion and role in the scheme are still unknown.
From court documents and own sources, it became known that this is about the investigation of inflated repair costs for one of the university's buildings.
Rector Yuri Kuchin in September 2019 concluded a contract with LLC "Ulster" for the capital repair of part of the roof with heated gutters and downspouts of the morphological building at Peremohy Avenue, 34, in the capital. The estimate was approved by the rector's order for 10.9 million hryvnias including VAT. Control over the order was assigned to the deputy rector for economic affairs Bogdan.
However, the work dragged on, and several additional contracts were concluded to continue the repairs. In the additional agreements, the cost and volume of work did not change. At the same time, according to the investigation's conclusions, in the acceptance certificates of completed construction work, the cost and volume were inflated from the actual by almost 2.3 million hryvnias. Under these certificates, the university transferred almost 4 million hryvnias to the contractor.
It is known that Rector Yuri Kuchin himself was questioned in this case as a witness.
NAPC issued instructions to Bogdan and Titikalo
In June 2025, Rector Kuchin received instructions from the National Agency on Corruption Prevention regarding his deputies Bogdan and Titikalo – the issue concerned their ownership of corporate rights in a number of commercial structures. The law provides that an official from the management of a legal entity of public law, which a state university is, must transfer corporate rights to management after appointment to the position and notify NAPC of this. Apparently, this was not done.
In Bogdan's case, in his declaration until 2025, a stake in the Law Office "Mayak" LLC and participation in the All-Ukrainian Bar Association JSC were listed as "not transferred." In the 2025 declaration, they are already absent. Regarding Titikalo, in his first declaration as deputy rector for 2018, ownership of "BK Audit" was listed, as well as stakes in LLC "Helix Med," "UCAS," "Eco Med Group," and also in a private university. In the 2024 declaration, which apparently interested NAPC, ownership of "BK Audit" and a stake in "Helix Med" were listed as "not transferred." Currently, according to the latest declaration, these rights have been transferred.
The university rector Yuri Kuchin has for years declared salary for part-time work from LLC "Capital" (Oberig clinic), LLC "Harmony of Beauty" and the Medical Center "Dobrobit," the first two medical facilities are actively used by the university as clinical bases. Whether there is a violation here, a conflict of interest – is a question for NAPC. As well as the question of the salary received by Kuchin's wife Kateryna Belka, who also works at the university, from PJSC "Kyivmedpreparate," LLC "Yuria-Farm," for which the university conducted drug research on its basis. And also how Kuchin managed to purchase a Honda VFR 800 motorcycle in 2023 with a market value at that time of over 300 thousand hryvnias.
The State Audit Service is monitoring the procurement of repair services for two dormitories of NMU Bogomolts in Kyiv. This concerns services worth more than 130 million hryvnias. Previously, UNN reported on possible overpricing of work performed in these and other tenders of the university, where the company "Grin Trading" won.
Who will be responsible for the scheme next
In two months, the investigation reached two deputy rectors, while the person who signed the contract and approved the estimate continues to lead the university in the status of a witness. If the logic of the case does not change, next year will show whether responsibility will be limited to the executors of the scheme, or the investigation will reach those who signed these contracts.
