The head of the 'Union of Consumers of Public Utilities' Oleg Popenko expressed his outrage regarding the new draft law on 'digitization of executive proceedings' (№4205). He is concerned that this initiative may open the way for various criminal machinations, in particular through incorrect calculations in utility bills.
According to the expressed concerns, the executive service gets the opportunity to act immediately after the verdict of the first instance court, which may lead to the arrest and sale of property for utility debts even before the case is considered on appeal. This, according to the expert, poses a threat to many Ukrainians, including pensioners, people living abroad, or in frontline areas.
As soon as the first instance court records a debt, this draft law allows the executive service to immediately block all accounts, arrest cars, and, most importantly, prohibit any transactions with housing.
The expert described a possible scenario of abuses that may arise due to this new norm. He noted that there are already cases of incorrect calculations of utility payments in the system, which may serve as a basis for fraud.
'We already have facts: in the Kyiv region, 11 out of 12 verified complaints about bills confirmed violations. In Kyiv - 51 violations out of 175 complaints. The system already allows for the issuance of incorrect bills,' Popenko noted.
This situation may lead to a rapid consideration of the case in the first instance court and subsequent arrest and sale of property without sufficient regulation from the owners.
According to the head of the 'Union of Consumers of Public Utilities', the new draft law on 'digitization of executive proceedings' may become a source of serious problems for Ukrainian citizens, as it gives the executive service the opportunity to act quickly immediately after the verdict of the first instance court. This can serve as a trigger for fraud and illegal actions, especially in the sphere of utility payments, violating citizens' rights to a fair trial and proper consideration of the case on appeal.