The Holosiivskyi National Park in Kyiv nearly lost 3 hectares of land due to the machinations of a group of individuals. The Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office partially defended the land plots in court, but the fight to preserve the integrity of the nature reserve continues.
This was reported by the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office.
Seizure of territory and falsification
Members of a gardening cooperative, without any permits or approvals, unscrupulously seized more than 3 hectares of land in the Hayok tract. As expected, this crime was not limited to that. The group of individuals also illegally built 33 garden houses on the territory.
The citizens legalized the illegal structures in an equally illegal manner—by falsifying documents. Inaccurate data about the year of construction and the alleged assignment of addresses allowed the houses to be registered in the State Register of Real Rights to Real Estate.
Defending the national park in court
Due to the violation of state interests, the capital's Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office filed 33 lawsuits. Prosecutors are seeking to have the registration of illegal structures revoked and the structures demolished.
The court has already upheld ten lawsuits. The prosecutor's office is currently taking measures to enforce six court decisions that have come into force.
At the same time, those involved face criminal liability. Three indictments against members of the cooperative have been sent to court. They are charged with:
- unauthorized construction on a land plot of particularly valuable lands that was occupied without authorization;
- using knowingly forged documents.
A verdict has already been handed down for one individual; investigations regarding the others are still ongoing.
EcoPolitic systematically reports on environmental crimes in its weekly digest. You can learn about cases of illegal logging, air pollution, and unauthorized use of mineral resources at this link.
