The SBI has served suspicion notices to a law-enforcer and a businessman, who illegally set up an agribusiness in border area

The SBI officers, with the support of the State Border Guard Service leadership, served a notice of suspicion to a border guard from the Lutsk branch who had assisted a local agricultural company in the unlawful seizure of 45 hectares of land in the border zone.

Backstory

The agricultural company had leased more than 284 hectares of land from local residents - land share owners. However, in order to increase the company's profits, the businessman decided to expand the sown area using the border area.

In order to accomplish this, he negotiated an agreement with the head of the Border Guard Department. The official was providing unhindered access for the businessman's equipment and personnel to the land in the border protection zone.

The workers illegally cut down trees and shrubs on 45 hectares of land and planted agricultural products there. It has been estimated that the state, as the rightful owner, lost more than UAH 7.2 million due to the unlawful seizure and misuse of the land.

It is also being investigated whether such "management" created security risks for the Ukrainian border protection system.

Charges

The head of the Border Guard Service department is suspected of aiding and abetting the unauthorised occupation of land plots in the special land use regime zone, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy (Article 27(5), Article 28(2), Article 197-1(2) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

Also, the head of the enterprise was notified of suspicion of unauthorised occupation of land plots in the zone of special land use regime committed by prior conspiracy of a group of persons (Article 28(2), Article 197-1(2) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

Procedural supervision is carried out by the Specialised Defence Prosecutor's Office of the Western Region.