Business on radioactive land in the Chornobyl zone - case sent to court
Kyiv • UNN
Officials illegally sowed 1.9 thousand hectares in the resettlement zone and sold the harvest. The state suffered millions of hryvnias in damages due to the violation of the regime.
A case concerning the illegal use of radioactively contaminated lands in the Chornobyl zone has been sent to court. According to the investigation, the defendants sowed fields, harvested crops, and sold them, despite the prohibition of economic activity. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General, as conveyed by UNN.
The Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office of the Prosecutor General's Office has sent a case to court regarding the illegal use of Chornobyl zone lands for profit.
According to the investigation, the former village head, together with a land surveyor and the heads of four enterprises, organized a business covering up to 1.9 thousand hectares in the zone of unconditional resettlement, where any economic activity is prohibited.
To circumvent the law, fictitious preliminary lease agreements were concluded – as a result, fields were sown, crops were harvested, and sold on the market. In just one year, the state suffered losses of over UAH 4.9 million. In addition, the director of one of the companies organized a group involving the heads of other enterprises and a village council deputy. On self-occupied plots, they grew 364.77 tons of sunflower worth over UAH 6.6 million, which was exported outside the resettlement zone and sold.
According to available data, the actions of officials and enterprise managers are qualified under articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine regarding unauthorized land occupation, abuse of official position, violation of radiation safety regulations, property seizure, and legalization of illegal proceeds.
Prosecutors also filed a lawsuit to recover UAH 6.6 million in income obtained from the illegal use of radioactively contaminated lands.