The Anti-Corruption Court has delivered a verdict in the case of illegal alienation of land of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. This was reported by the High Anti-Corruption Court, UNN reports.
Details
The court found nine people involved in the fraud guilty and ruled to return 138 land plots with a total area of more than 13 hectares located in Kyiv-Svyatoshynskyi district of Kyiv region to the state.
Among the convicts are high-ranking officials of the National Academy of Sciences, including the former director of the Institute of Agriculture and the former president of the academy. They received prison terms of up to 8 years, a ban on holding public office, and partial confiscation of property. The case also involves officials of the State Land Agency, who were sentenced to similar penalties.
It was established that particularly valuable state-owned land was illegally seized and distributed among close associates. As a result of their division, land plots were formed, which were subsequently used in private interests. The disclosure of this scheme became possible due to a large-scale investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau.
The verdict has not yet entered into force and may be appealed within 30 days. The court also noted that the sentences of imprisonment and prohibition to hold office will be calculated from the moment of detention of the convicts after the appeal proceedings are completed.