Illegally extracted sand: enterprise director in Zhytomyr region received suspicion for billions in environmental damage
Kyiv • UNN
The director of a private company in the Zhytomyr region has been notified of suspicion for illegal sand extraction. Environmental damage is estimated at over 2.5 billion hryvnias.
In Zhytomyr region, the director of a mining enterprise was served with a notice of suspicion for causing over 2.5 billion hryvnias in environmental damage through illegal sand extraction, UNN reports with reference to the Prosecutor General's Office.
The Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office of the Zhytomyr Regional Prosecutor's Office, in cooperation with the Main Directorate of the National Police in Zhytomyr Oblast, served a notice of suspicion to the director of one of the private companies under Part 3 of Article 240 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal extraction of local minerals on a large scale, by an official using their official position).
Details
The investigation established that one of the private companies received a special permit from the State Service of Geology and Mineral Resources of Ukraine for the use of subsoil in the Karpylivske deposit in Zhytomyr Oblast. The purpose was to extract sand (suitable for road construction, plastering and building mortars for the finishing layer) within specific geographical coordinates. An Agreement on the terms of use of the provided subsoil was concluded between this company (represented by its director) and the StateGeoCadastre, which clearly defined the boundaries of the subsoil plot for development.
At the same time, from February 2020 to May 2024, despite the terms of the Agreement and in violation of current legislation, the private enterprise illegally extracted 113.5 thousand cubic meters of sand from areas of the deposit outside the permitted boundaries.
According to the conclusion of the conducted forensic engineering and environmental expertise, the amount of damage caused to the environment is 2.513 billion hryvnias.
Searches were conducted at the location of the deposit, in office premises, and at the residences of the director, owners, and accountants of the business entity.
The state prosecutor in the criminal proceedings has prepared a motion for the selection of a preventive measure for the head of the private company.