The SBU uncovered an official of subsidiary firm “Novohrad-Volynskyi forestry agro-industrial complex” of Zhytomyr regional council, involved in illegal logging and sale of state timber. 

Allegedly, the official organized the illegal sale of timber to the owners of local woodworking enterprises. For logging, the official used the forest area entrusted to him. 

The untreated timber was then processed into charcoal and exported to the EU countries on the basis of documents containing the details of fictitious firms.

For different sums of money, which the businessmen transferred to his card account, the official authorized the illegal deforestation under the guise of conducting the selective and sanitary logging.

He also helped to deliver the timber to warehouses or production facilities of “business partners” using forestry’s vehicles.

According to intelligence, the official received over UAH 100,000 (USD 3,700) in the last few months of 2019.

The SBU served a notice of suspicion of committing a crime to the offender for misappropriation, embezzlement or conversion or property by malversation and for illegal deforestation or illegal storage, transportation, sale of forest.

Investigation is ongoing in order to verify the legality of timber export.

The operation was conducted by the SBU Office in Zhytomyr region jointly with the investigators of the National Police Regional Office under the legal supervision of Prosecutor’s Office.