The deputy head of the Zhydachiv City Production Department of Public Utilities was notified of suspicion of official negligence due to land pollution and contamination.
This was reported by ZAXID.NET with reference to the case file published in the court register.
Law enforcement officers found out that the official of the Zhydachiv Municipal Housing and Communal Services Department did not properly perform his duties. This led to pollution and contamination of the land around the local landfill to the tune of UAH 57.4 million.
The defendant in this criminal case at different times worked as the head, acting head and deputy head of the Zhydachiv Municipal Utility Company. During this time, he did not initiate the preparation of a landfill operation project and waste storage in accordance with such a project. In addition, the official did not control the fulfillment of landfill maintenance contracts. This caused pollution and contamination of the land adjacent to the landfill.
The court has now imposed a personal commitment as a preventive measure on the official. For the duration of the investigation – until May 2025 – he was also suspended from office and duties.
According to part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, an official may be punished for official negligence by imprisonment for a term of 2 to 5 years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to 3 years and a fine of 250 to 750 tax-free minimum incomes or without it.
Recently, EcoPolitic in its weekly digest told about another head of a municipal enterprise in Kirovohrad Oblast who failed to ensure groundwater protection, as well as leachate removal and disposal at a landfill. As a result, the city council was forced to allocate UAH 775 thousand from the budget to pay for the damages assessed by the State Environmental Inspectorate.
Earlier we reported that the Zhytomyr-based Municipal Enterprise “Motor Transport Enterprise 0628” will be sued for more than UAH 838 thousand of environmental damage due to soil and water pollution caused by the construction of a leachate pond for the city's solid waste landfill outside the area that was provided to the Municipal Enterprise for use.
