Forestry sector abuses exposed, causing over UAH 700 mln in losses – SBI
The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has uncovered large-scale abuses in the forestry sector, which caused losses of more than UAH 700 million, and the Bureau's investigators have filed motions with the court to impose preventive measures on the suspects.
As reported on the agency's website on Wednesday, the number of violations identified indicates a deep systemic nature of the problems that begin at the management level and trickle down. "Local officials abuse their official positions and cause millions in losses to the state due to the absence or even connivance "from above," including from the State Enterprise Forests of Ukraine, the SBI said.
The SBI said it uncovered large-scale logging in the Kut and Delyatyn forest farms of the Carpathian region.
All those involved have been notified of suspicion. They face 5 to 10 years in prison, depending on the severity of the crimes. SBI investigators have filed motions with the court to impose preventive measures.
In addition, it is reported that in the Dnipropetrovsk region, the SBI has notified the former head of one of the branches of the State Enterprise Forests of Ukraine of suspicion, who allowed illegal felling of trees in the landscape reserve of local significance "Mosty" in the Kamiansk district.
"The "Mosty" reserve with an area of over 2,300 hectares was created to preserve a unique forest ecosystem. Any logging there is possible only with special permits, but the official did not control this and allowed the illegal issuance of logging tickets. As a result, plantations worth more than UAH 6.9 million were destroyed," the report says.
The former head of the forestry is charged with official negligence, which caused grave consequences (Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The sanction of the article provides for up to five years of imprisonment. Currently, the issue of a preventive measure and compensation for damages is being resolved.
The Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Prosecutor's Office and the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office are conducting the procedural management
