Employees of the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) have notified the former director of the Kostopil Forestry Branch of the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” of their suspicion of illegal enrichment in excess of UAH 44.3 million.
The relevant announcement was published on the website of this law enforcement agency.
The suspect has been charged under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: Part 1 of Article 368-5 (illegal enrichment) and Part 2 of Article 366-2 (providing knowingly false information in a declaration).
At the suspect's home, investigators found and seized over $650,000, €481,000, and 500,000 hryvnia. To conceal his illegal enrichment, he provided documents allegedly confirming that the funds had been transferred to him for safekeeping by another Ukrainian citizen. However, it turned out that this person has not been in Ukraine since 2022, has no confirmed income, and has no connection with the suspect.
Photo: dbr.gov.ua.
Also in 2022, the former director of the Lesiv Ukrainy branch purchased a new Mercedes-Benz GLS 400d 4Matic car worth UAH 4.7 million. The suspect drew up a fictitious gift agreement for it, as his own income and that of his family did not allow him to make such an expensive purchase. According to the contract, the money for the purchase of the car was allegedly gifted to the former forester by his mother, a pensioner born in 1940, who receives only a pension and also has a subsidy.
In the former manager's declaration, investigators also found:
- false information about a gift of UAH 4 million;
- undeclared balances in bank accounts, “forgotten” cash;
- fictitious information about the source of assets allegedly received under a storage agreement.
Now the former official of the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” faces up to 10 years behind bars. The issue of choosing a preventive measure is currently being decided.
Earlier, EcoPolitic reported that the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) would sell the equipment of a mining farm that was illegally set up on the premises of officials of one of the branches of the state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine.”
We also reported on the machinations of foresters with the electronic timber accounting system.
