Corruption Scheme in Forestry in Odessa Region
Under the guidance of the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office of the Odessa Regional Prosecutor's Office, three officials from the Southern Interregional Department of Forestry and Hunting have been accused of corruption involving unlawful profits (Part 3, Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
According to the investigation, two of the suspects, holding leadership positions, developed a scheme for systematically receiving unlawful benefits from individuals seeking to obtain hunting licenses.
The officials created a manipulation mechanism during the examination process for obtaining these licenses.
To implement their plan, they involved members of the examination commission responsible for conducting tests and ensuring desired results.
The “fee” for successfully passing the tests was set at 2000 UAH per candidate. In total, the officials received over 100,000 UAH in unlawful benefits. They were detained while receiving the next tranche.
At the prosecutor's request, preventive measures were chosen - detention with an alternative to bail. Issues regarding their suspension from office are also being addressed.
The investigation is ongoing, and other individuals involved in the illegal scheme are being identified.
The pre-trial investigation is conducted by the TDBR in Mykolaiv.
Note: According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a lawful manner.
