Four forestry officials have been charged with illegal logging.
Under the procedural guidance of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, charges have been brought against four officials of a state forestry enterprise. They are accused of abuse of power by law enforcement officers and illegal logging, which caused severe consequences (part 3 of Article 365, part 4 of Article 246 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
According to the investigation, during 2020–2023, the suspects, while holding management positions or acting as directors, unjustifiably issued logging tickets. This enabled the organization of illegal logging in mixed-age and mixed-species plantations. As a result of these actions, at least 9,530 trees were destroyed. The environmental damage is estimated at over 42 million UAH.
All the suspects are former or current law enforcement officers. The pre-trial investigation and operational support are being conducted by the Territorial Directorate of the State Bureau of Investigation located in Lviv under the supervision of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
Note: According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law and confirmed by a court conviction.