In Rivne region, the SSU exposed an embezzlement scheme of state-owned enterprise property. Allegedly, about 1,600 hectares of land of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine (NAAS) were illegally leased to local entrepreneurs. The illegal actions caused the state losses of over UAN 5,5 m (USD 208,000). Law enforcement officers are involved in the scam.

According to the investigation, the scam was organized through the State Enterprise Research Station Bilokrynytske, the part of NAAS. This institution owns more than 2,000 hectares of land for growing breeding specimens.

In 2020-2021, the officials of state enterprise signed the alleged cooperation agreements with a number of commercial entities. In fact, the officials evade their responsibilities to control merchants’ activities.

Firms, controlled by the perpetrators, were able to use 1,600 hectares of NAAS land without paying rent. They received the land plots with grown agricultural products, which they sold at market prices.

The merchants received multimillion profits. Bankruptcy proceedings were initiated against the State Enterprise Research Station Bilokrynytske of the NAAS as illiquid enterprise.

Within the criminal proceedings, under the misappropriation, embezzlement or conversion or property by malversation and abuse of authority or office, the 2021 grown harvest of crops on the land plots of the state enterprise is seized.

Currently, the SSU has established the involvement of law enforcement in the illegal activities, who evaded their responsibilities to investigate the unlawful actions and did not take measures to preserve material evidence and protect the interests of the state enterprise.

Despite the courts’ seizure of property and the harvest permit only for the state enterprise, the representatives of commercial structures harvested without hindrance.

SSU cracked down the illegal activities, inspected the scene and confiscated the equipment with harvest (more than 45 tons of soybeans) and prevented the misappropriation of state property for over UAN 700,000 (USD 26,500).

The pre-trial investigation carried out by the Territorial Department of the State Bureau of Investigation in Khmelnytskyi is underway to bring to justice the law enforcement officers for the neglecting of official duty.