NABU detectives and SAPO prosecutors have served former Minister of Agrarian Policy Mykola Solskyi with a notice of suspicion of allegedly organizing a scheme to seize 2,500 hectares of NAAS land in Sumy Oblast. UNN journalists analyzed the former minister's declarations for the period from 2020 to 2023 and did not find any land plots in Sumy region.
Details
Solsky himself explained that the circumstances of seven years ago, which are referred to in the law enforcement investigation, relate to the period of his legal practice. Back then, he helped ATO veterans exercise their right to receive 2 hectares of land. The defense of the former minister claims that Solsky did not benefit from the fact that the soldiers acquired the right to land.
This is confirmed by information from his declarations filed since 2020. In these documents, Solskyi listed three land plots, all of which belong to his wife. In addition, they are all located in the Obukhiv district of Kyiv region, not Sumy region.
In addition, NABU detectives and SAPO prosecutors pointed out that Solskyi is the owner of a number of agricultural companies. However, according to law enforcement, the land plots issued by the StateGeoCadastre to ATO veterans are leased and cultivated by the local agricultural company Dovira 2008.
Mykola Solskyi does indicate in his declarations that he is a beneficiary of several agricultural companies. However, neither Dovira 2008 nor any other agricultural company located in Sumy region is among them.
The editorial board of UNN asked the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office for clarification on what land plots Mykola Solsky had seized.
Recall
Mykola Solsky told how the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine illegally leased state land, receiving cash for it. In many cases, however, the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences and its state-owned enterprises could not even confirm their right to use these land plots.
The land allegedly seized by Solskyi, before the State Geocadastre distributed it among ATO veterans, was used by state-owned enterprises Iskra and Nadiya. However, they had no documents confirming their right to permanent use of the land plots. This was confirmed by and the Supreme Court in 2019.
"During the consideration of the case, the courts of previous instances found that there were no state acts for the right to permanent use of land plots both for SE Iskra, SE Nadiia and the companies whose legal successors they are.
In addition, the courts found that the decisions on granting the disputed land plots for permanent use to SE Iskra and SE Nadiya were not made in accordance with the procedure established by the Land Code of Ukraine at the time of filing a lawsuit," reads the ruling of the panel of judges of the Commercial Court of Cassation of the Supreme Court of 5 August 2019.