The Security Service of Ukraine has uncovered a large-scale scheme to embezzle land from Kyiv’s nature reserve fund worth over 595 million Hryvnias (USD 13.7 mln). Former Ukrainian member of parliament Andriy Derkach, who is suspected of treason and is currently in hiding in russia, is involved in organizing the scheme.

The investigation established that during his term as an MP until 2019, the suspect appropriated 41.5 hectares of protected land in Kyiv. This accounts for nearly 50% of the total area of this nature conservation zone.

To carry out the scheme, Derkach enlisted accomplices who at the time held the positions of head of the Obukhiv District Department of the State Committee for Land Resources and head of the Obukhiv District State Administration.

To take possession of the protected land, the participants in the scheme forged land management documents and entered false data into the State Land Cadastre of Ukraine.

The perpetrators then attempted to legalise the scheme. To this end, after numerous divisions, mergers, and resales, they registered the land plots in the names of relatives and acquaintances of Derkach and his accomplices.

Based on the evidence, Security Service investigators notified all three involved individuals of suspicion under two Articles of the CCU:

• 191.5 (misappropriation, embezzlement, or acquisition of property through abuse of official position, committed on a particularly large scale by an organised group);
• 209.3 (legalisation (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means).

Currently, one of the organisers of the scheme – the former head of the Obukhiv District State Administration in Kyiv region – has been detained. He faces up to 12 years in prison and confiscation of property.

Since Derkach and his other accomplice are in hiding outside Ukraine, they have been notified of the charges in absentia.

Efforts to bring them to justice are ongoing.

The investigation was carried out under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office.