Law enforcement officers detained the Mayor of Mukachevo, Andriy Baloha, and the head of the Mukachevo District Council, Mykhailo Lanyo. They were found to be involved in corruption schemes during the sale of a land plot in the city center. UNN reports this with reference to the SBU.
"SBU officers, together with the NABU and SAPO, exposed the mayor and the head of the district council of a city in Zakarpattia region for involvement in corruption schemes. According to the case materials, the officials abused their official position to sell a land plot in the city center with an area of more than 3 hectares at a reduced price," the SBU said in a statement.
According to the SBU, the organizer of the scheme is the head of the district council and an influential figure in the region's criminal community. In the past, he was twice elected to the Parliament, including as a member of the now banned Party of Regions.
According to the investigation, at the city council session, the mayor ensured that the decision to sell the land plot was made at a price that was almost 9 times lower. The buyer of the land plot was a private company, whose actual controller is the head of the district council.
The reason for this was an expert monetary valuation with an understated value of the land plot. According to the case file, the owners of the appraiser company were bribed for the "understated conclusion".
"As a result of such transactions, the land with a market value of UAH 84.6 million was sold for UAH 9.6 million," the SBU said.
In addition, the mayor reportedly granted the company a 6-month deferred payment plan by personal decision.
SBU and NABU officers have detained the mayor, the head of the district council, and the former head of the municipal property and land relations department of the city council.
In connection with the crimes committed, the officials, as well as the two owners of the appraisal company and the appraiser, are being served with notices of suspicion under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Art. 358 (forgery of documents, seals, stamps and forms, sale or use of forged documents, seals, stamps);
- Art. 364 (abuse of power or position);
- Art. 368-4 (bribery of a person providing public services).
Addendum
According to journalist Vitaliy Glagola, the detention is related to a corrupt scheme to sell the Avangard stadium.