Corruption Charges Against Forest Management Officials
Under the procedural guidance of the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office of the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office, three officials from the Southern Interregional Department of Forestry and Hunting have been charged with receiving illegal benefits (part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The investigation revealed that two of the suspects, holding managerial positions, devised a corrupt scheme to systematically gain illegal benefits from individuals seeking to obtain hunting permits.
The officials created a mechanism for manipulating the examination process for obtaining the permits.
To implement their plan, they involved members of the examination commission responsible for conducting the tests and ensuring the desired outcomes.
The “fee” for successfully passing the examinations was set at 2000 UAH per candidate. In total, the officials received over 100,000 UAH in illegal benefits. They were apprehended while receiving another tranche.
At the prosecutor's request, they were placed under preventive measures - custody with the possibility of bail. Issues regarding their suspension from office are currently being resolved.
The investigation is ongoing, and other individuals involved in the illegal scheme are being identified.
The pre-trial investigation is carried out by the investigators of the Territorial Department of the State Bureau of Investigations in Mykolaiv.
Note: According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a court verdict.
