The SSU has collected evidence against a deputy of Odesa Region Council and his wife, who are involved in a raider seizure of state property.

The couple tried to seize premises of Ukrposhta JSC near the coastal protection zone in Zatoka village and illegally alienate agricultural land with a total area of almost 280 hectares.

Acting in an organized criminal group, the participants forged ownership documents and through a controlled notary registered the land in the names of bogus persons.

Then they transferred the ‘re-registered’ state property to an affiliated commercial entity.

Due to the SSU’s prompt response, misappropriation of state real estate worth tens of millions of UAH was prevented.

Now the buildings and adjacent territory of Ukrposhta on the Black Sea coast have been returned to the state-owned enterprise, and the land plots have been seized.

Based on the evidence collected by the SSU, the region council member was apprehended and served a notice of suspicion under the Articles of the CCU:

• 28.3 (committing a crime by a group of persons, a group of persons by prior conspiracy, an organized group or a criminal organization);
• 358.3, 358.4 (forgery of documents, seals, stamps and forms, sale or use of forged documents, seals, stamps);
• 190.4 (fraud committed on a particularly large scale or by an organized group).

The court chose custody as a measure of restraint with an alternative bail of UAH 24.5 mln.

The suspect’s wife and his assistant were notified of suspicion of falsifying documents and using such documents, fraudulent seizure of state property and its legalization committed by an organized group by prior conspiracy.

Both were taken into custody with an alternative bail in the amount of UAH 8 mln.

Earlier, the notary involved and one of the executors of the fraud, exposed by the SSU last June, were also served suspicion notices.

The investigation is underway.

The SSU Office in Odesa region exposed the offenders jointly with the National Police under the supervision of Odesa Region Prosecutor’s Office.