Detectives of the State Bureau of Investigation have exposed an organized criminal group of forestry officials and foresters in Prykarpattia, who cut down trees worth more than 2.2 million hryvnias in the national natural park Hutsulshchyna.
More than 500 trees, including fir, beech, aspen, hornbeam and ash, were cut down on the territory of the park, the SBI reports on Facebook.
It is noted that the national park is a part of the Kosiv nature protection research department.
The report emphasized that the group included 5 employees of the Kut Forestry State Enterprise, namely the former and current directors, the chief forester, the head of the forestry department, and the forest protection and protection engineer.
"For a long time, officials illegally, without any permits and approvals, issued documents for carrying out selective sanitary felling on the territory of the park, which has not been a part of the "Kutsky forestry" for more than 20 years. Then the wood was sold to the population, and the money was appropriated," the DBR press service said.
It is noted that the detectives are additionally investigating other facts of the criminals issuing illegal documents for logging in the nature park. According to preliminary data, losses from the operation of this scheme may reach tens of millions of hryvnias.
The press service emphasized that 5 members of the group have already been notified of suspicion of illegal felling and sale of forest, as well as abuse of official position. They face up to 7 years of imprisonment.
The press service added that the issue of suspending officials from their duties and imposing preventive measures on them is currently being resolved. In order to compensate for the damages, a petition was prepared to seize the property of the suspects.
It is noted that during searches of the place of residence of the members of the criminal group, documents were found that testify to the alleged commission of other official crimes. The investigation is ongoing.
Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that Yuliya Yatsyk, a member of the People's Deputy and a member of the Temporary Investigative Commission on Illegal Cutting of Forests in Zakarpattia region, suspected officials from the Prosecutor's Office of being involved in forest mafia schemes.
As EcoPolitic previously reported, Bukovel LLC plans to build 2 more megaresorts in the Carpathians, in addition to the Svydovets resort, namely Bystrytsia and Turbat with a size of 1,400 hectares. Already in 2023, the company of the odious Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoiskyi may begin construction work, which will lead to an environmental disaster.
