In Sumy region, seven heads of agroforestry enterprises and the former deputy director general of the regional utility Sumyoblagrolis have been served with a notice of suspicion for selling timber worth UAH 11 million.
They sold the timber not through legal commodity exchanges, but directly through contracts with certain entrepreneurs at prices below market prices, the press service of the State Bureau of Investigation reports.
It is noted that SBI employees worked on the case together with the Security Service of Ukraine.
"Mostly valuable tree species were sold: oak, pine, alder, and others. According to preliminary information, the state lost almost UAH 11 million from such timber trade," the statement said.
The press service said that during the searches of the suspects' homes and offices, 3.5 million hryvnias in cash in different currencies were found. The information that these funds were received as "kickbacks" for the trade in trees is being checked.
It is noted that the heads of agro-forestry enterprises are suspected of intentional use of official position by an official in order to obtain an unlawful benefit for another individual or legal entity, which entailed grave consequences (Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). And the former head of Sumyoblagrolis is suspected of negligence for failing to control the actions of his subordinates (part 2 of article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). They face up to 6 years in prison.
The SBI added that they are currently deciding on the choice of preventive measures, as well as full compensation for the damage caused.
Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote thta, in Sumy region, police exposed a criminal group of officials and employees of commercial structures who set up a corruption scheme for the sale of unaccounted-for timber , including abroad.
As EcoPolitic previously reported, employees of the State Bureau of Investigation 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 thousand trees.
