The State Bureau of Investigation has reported suspicions against one of the deputy heads of the Main Department of the State Geocadastre in the Volyn region. He is suspected of illegally transferring lands of the nature reserve fund to private ownership, which led to multimillion-dollar losses for the state.
We are talking about three land plots located within the landscape reserve "Hnidavski bolota", near the central part of Lutsk. These territories have nature conservation status and are intended for the preservation of rare flora and fauna. Over the course of four years, the official signed three illegal orders, as a result of which more than 4 hectares of protected land passed into private ownership.
The recipients of the plots were residents of the Lviv region — individuals from the official’s close circle, including his relatives and friends. Later, these plots were resold, and one of the buyers, a military man, purchased the plot without knowing about its illegal origin. Thus, he actually became a victim of fraud.
The State Bureau of Investigation estimates the losses to the state at over 6.3 million hryvnias. Measures are currently underway to return the plots to state ownership and identify other individuals who may be involved in the scheme.
The official is charged with abuse of power or official position, which resulted in grave consequences (Part 2, Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The investigation is ongoing.
