In Volyn, the SBI exposed the illegal privatization of water fund lands with the participation of officials, a deputy, and an entrepreneur

The employees of the State Bureau of Investigation exposed the illegal privatization of water fund lands in the Lutsk district of Volyn region. An entrepreneur, a former head of the regional department of the State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre (State Geocadastre), and a deputy of the district council were involved in the deal.

According to the investigation, the actual head of one of the enterprises, who was formerly a member of the regional council, organized the transfer of water fund lands to private ownership. Formally, the land plots were registered free of charge to fictitious military personnel, but the former deputy himself became the ultimate owner. As a result, the state suffered losses of more than UAH 8.3 million.

Through his personal connections, the organizer involved in illegal activities the former  head of the Main Directorate of the State Geocadastre in Volyn region and a deputy of the district council. All three acted in concert.

The district council deputy headed the commission on agriculture, ecology, and land resources, so he was well-versed in the procedure for transferring land plots. It was he who found five military personnel with combatant status who were entitled to receive land plots free of charge. Using their personal data and documents—without the involvement of the soldiers themselves—they drew up the land management documentation.

Through an official of the State Geocadastre, a company providing services in the field of engineering, geodesy, and geology was also involved in the deal. It developed land management projects for personal farming without personal appeals or the participation of military personnel.

On their behalf, applications were submitted to the State Geocadastre for permits to allocate land plots outside the settlements of the Boratyn community in the Lutsk district.

The State Geocadastre official knew for certain that some of the plots were located on water fund lands—in the coastal protection zone of the Styr River—which, by law, cannot be transferred to private ownership. Despite this, he signed orders for their allocation without changing their intended purpose.

In this way, five land plots, each with an area of 2 hectares, were illegally privatized. According to the investigation, the organizer of the deal became the beneficial owner of all the plots. The involvement of military personnel and the state registrar of property rights is currently being investigated.

The total amount of damage caused to the state exceeds UAH 8.3 million.

The actions of the individuals involved were classified under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

• the entrepreneur — Part 3 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 28, Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
• the district council deputy — Part 5 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 28, Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
• the former head of the State Geocadastre — Part 2 of Article 28, Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The articles provide for punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to six years.

The preventive measures have already been imposed on two suspects. A motion has also been filed with the court to impose a preventive measure on the entrepreneur. In addition, a civil lawsuit is being prepared to return the illegally alienated land plots to state ownership.

The procedural guidance is provided by the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for the Western Region.