NABU exposes 17 ha land theft scheme

On Sept. 10, 2021, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) served a notice of suspicion to the former acting director of a state enterprise and the head of the Main Department of the State Geocadastre in the Vinnytsia region. Both are charged with stealing 17.11 hectares of especially valuable land, which caused UAH 11.6 million in damage to the state. The actions of the suspects fall under Part 5 Art. 191 and Part 1 Art. 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

As established, in 2016-2017, the head of a state enterprise subordinate to the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine and the head of the Main Department of the State Geocadastre in the Vinnytsia region forged documents to bypass the legal procedure (the consent of the Cabinet of Ministers) to transfer 10 plots of especially valuable land (​​17.11 hectares) into private property.

To make the scheme look legal, a legend was offered that the land was allegedly provided to the employees of the state enterprise for personal farming needs. However, according to the investigation, almost all those who got the plots had nothing to do with the state enterprise. Moreover, a close relative of the SE head was among the owners of the plots.

At the request of NABU and SAPO, the land plots were seized by court.

This episode is one of those related to illegal transactions with land managed by structures within the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. Probes into some of them are already completed with case files having been sent to the HACC.

According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered non-guilty in the commission of a crime and cannot be subject to criminal punishment until he or she is found guilty by court.