Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation have served a notice of suspicion to one of the former heads of the Mohyliv-Podilskyi forestry in Vinnytsia region, who illegally signed documents for the felling of more than 10,000 trees.
He issued 6 logging tickets for sanitary and clear felling, although he knew that the forestry had no official grounds for this, the SBI press service reports.
It is noted that the trees were destroyed on 17 hectares of the territory of four forestries. Losses from such activities amounted to UAH 58.5 million.
The report emphasized that the defendant is suspected of intentionally committing actions beyond his authority, which caused grave consequences (Part 3 of Article 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). He faces up to 10 years in prison.
"The issue of selecting a preventive measure for the suspect is being resolved. Actions will also be taken to compensate the state for the damages caused. The man has been dismissed from his position," the press service said.
It is noted that a pre-trial investigation is currently underway, and the SBI is establishing all the circumstances and motives for the violation, as well as the identities of other persons involved.
The press service added that in August 2023, one of the heads of the department of the Central-Western Interregional Forestry and Hunting Department, who was involved in issuing logging tickets in violation of the law, was notified of suspicion over this fact.
Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that in Vinnytsia region, the former director of the Mohyliv-Podilskyi Forestry State Enterprise was notified of suspicion of facilitating the felling of 7,000 trees on an area of 14 hectares.
As EcoPolitic previously reported, employees of the State Bureau of Investigation notified officials from the forestry industry of Vinnytsia region of suspicion of illegally issuing permits for logging for 48.6 million hryvnias in the Mohyliv-Podilskyi forestry.
