100-year-old oaks were cut down in the Chornobyl Reserve for UAH 60 million: officials of the state-owned enterprise are exposed
Kyiv • UNN
Officials of a state forestry enterprise organized the illegal felling of 185 oak trees over 100 years old on the territory of the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve, causing damage worth over UAH 59 million.
The acting director of the state enterprise "Northern Forest" together with his accomplices organized the illegal felling of oaks on the territory of the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve. This was reported by the press service of the State Bureau of Investigation, UNN reports .
It was established that in December 2023, the head of the state enterprise organized the illegal felling of 185 oaks on the territory of the Denysovetske forestry of the Severna Pushcha State Enterprise, which belongs to the Chornobyl Reserve. He involved three civilians in the realization of the intention and issued them special passes to the territory of the reserve,
Details
The official showed the perpetrators the area to be cut down, where more than 100-year-old oaks grew. The dealers were assisted by a law enforcement officer who accompanied the transport with the felled timber.The accomplices took the timber to one of the capital's timber collection points, where it was sold on the basis of fake documents.
The total amount of losses to the state is over UAH 59 million.
The acting director of the state-owned enterprise "Severnaya Pushcha", a law enforcement officer and three civilians were served with notices of suspicion of illegal logging and sale of timber, which caused grave consequences, by prior conspiracy by a group of persons (Articles 27, 28, Part 4 of Article 246 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The sanction of the article provides for imprisonment for up to 7 years.
The searches also resulted in the seizure of cut timber with a volume of more than 350 cubic meters, which the dealers did not have time to sell.
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing, and the full range of persons involved in the fraud is being established.
Recall
The former head of a forestry enterprise in Vinnytsia region allowed the illegal felling of more than 10,000 trees, which resulted in losses of almost UAH 60 million. He faces up to 10 years in prison.