Legal Action Against Organized Crime Group in Odessa
The Odessa regional prosecutors have submitted an indictment to the court against a lawyer and two participants of an organized crime group led by a city council deputy, who illegally acquired real estate in central Odessa valued at over 11 million UAH.
They are charged with fraudulent acquisition of communal property, its legalization, document forgery, unauthorized land occupation, and illegal construction (Part 3 of Article 28, Parts 3 and 4 of Article 358, Part 4 of Article 190, Part 3 of Article 197-1, Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The investigation revealed that the deputy, a member of the Odessa City Council’s communal property commission, devised a scheme for illegal enrichment through the registration of ownership rights to real estate that directly or indirectly belonged to local communities.
He involved a lawyer and trusted associates in his plan.
The accomplices searched for communal premises on the first and second floors in central Odessa, rented them through controlled organizations, and later purchased them without competition.
They then increased the area of the purchased premises by using attics and basements and registered ownership rights under fictitious names based on forged documents.
Some of the unlawfully acquired non-residential premises were converted into residential apartments and sold to unsuspecting buyers.
In this manner, the organized group members obtained three real estate properties in central Odessa and a land plot in the Peresyp district, causing over 11 million UAH in damages to the local community.
The accused were apprehended in May of this year and are subject to pre-trial detention with an alternative of bail.
As part of the criminal proceedings, the prosecutor's office has filed a civil lawsuit to recover damages.
Materials concerning the organizing deputy have been separated into a separate proceeding, and an international search has been initiated.
Pre-trial investigations were carried out by detectives of the Odessa region police, with operational support from the Security Service of Ukraine in Odessa.
Note: According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a lawful manner by a court verdict.
