In Prykarpattia, nine officials were notified of suspicion over illegal tree felling with environmental damage of UAH 721 million.
The press service of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine reported this in a telegram.
The Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast exposed large-scale violations in forest management. Due to the illegal actions of officials, valuable trees in the Carpathian region were destroyed, causing hundreds of millions of hryvnias in environmental damage.
Photo: pgo_gov_ua
A total of 9 forestry officials were notified of suspicion of committing criminal offenses of deforestation and abuse of office. The total amount of damage caused to the forests of Prykarpattia is estimated at UAH 721 million.
In 2022, the head of the department and the engineer (former) of the Kutske Forestry of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" are suspected of allowing deforestation in the territory of the nature reserve fund without the necessary permits and limits for forestry. During the inspection of 195 hectares of the Hutsulshchyna National Nature Park, law enforcement officers found more than 13 thousand illegally cut trees, which were cut down on the basis of 59 logging tickets issued by officials.
In total, the officials caused losses of more than UAH 700 million. They are suspected of abuse of office and illegal logging under Part 3 of Art. 365, Part 2 of Art. 246 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Law enforcement officers continue the investigation.
Photo: pgo_gov_ua
In addition, the forester of the Tysiv forestry of the Dolyna Special Agroforestry Enterprise is suspected of official negligence (Part 1 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), as unknown persons cut down 18 raw trees, causing damage to the state in excess of UAH 240 thousand.
Investigators accuse the heads of Bohorodchany and Kolomyia special agricultural forestry enterprises of entering into direct contracts for the sale of timber products at reduced prices. As a result of their actions, the losses exceeded UAH 2 million. They are suspected of exceeding their official duties (Article 364(1) and (2) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Photo: pgo_gov_ua
A forester of the Kobakiv forestry of the Kosiv Regional State Enterprise (Rayagrolis) was also suspected. The investigation notes that his negligence led to the felling of more than a hundred trees in the Hutsulshchyna National Park. The damage amounted to over UAH 15 million, and the forester faces punishment under Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The chief forester of Delyatynske Forestry is suspected of official negligence (Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). He illegally issued logging tickets for the felling of rare trees, which is not provided for by law. He caused losses of over UAH 3 million.
The pre-trial investigation in these proceedings is being carried out by investigators of the Main Department of the National Police in Ivano-Frankivsk region and the Fifth Investigation Department of the State Bureau of Investigation located in Lviv (with a base in Ivano-Frankivsk).
Earlier, EcoPolitic told about trees being cut down for the sake of a road in Shipot: foresters responded to the scandal. We are talking about the construction of a road in the Carpathians – in the forestry "Shipot" of the Carpathian branch of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine", part of which now passes through virgin forests, their buffer zone and habitats of Red Book plants.
The foresters said that the road is necessary for forestry operations, forest protection and conservation, and is also important for the development of the region's socio-economic potential.
