The SBU uncovered the officials of Zaporizzhya City Council on the large-scale communal land fraud. Due to such actions, city budget lost over UAH 50 million (circa USD 1.9 million) of income.

Allegedly, the officials organized privatization of communal land at the cut price. The expert monetary evaluation of land plots was unlawfully conducted by legal entities that did not have the appropriate specialists and permits.  The officials chose the legal entities without tenders.

Since 2016, the officials entered unreliable data about the market price to the expert reports on land evaluation. Thereafter, they helped to privatize land at a lower price.

SBU searched the offenders’ offices and residences within the framework of criminal proceeding for abuse of the authority or office. During the searches, law enforcement seized the documents and data storages containing important information for the pre-trial investigation.

The examination is being carried out in order to evaluate the full extent of the damage.

Measures are currently being taken to return the land plots to communal property. Court passed the sentence to seize 31 land plots. The estimated cost of land is over UAH 200 million (USD 7.4 million).

Operation was conducted jointly with the investigators of the Main Department of the National Police in Zaporizzhya region under the legal supervision of the Prosecutor’s Office.