The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claims that he is involved in a "large-scale criminal scheme in the Kyiv City State Administration (KGGA)" and promised to assist in obtaining a lease on one of the banks of the Dnieper River in Kyiv for an illegal reward.
"As the investigation established, the businessman had previously attempted to obtain permission from the KGGA officially. However, according to the case materials, officials denied the entrepreneur, citing artificially created bureaucratic obstacles. Subsequently, a politician approached the head of the private company, introducing himself as a lawyer and offering to lease the plot for 25 years in exchange for a bribe of $1 million," the law enforcement agency stated.
The investigation managed to document that for this amount, the suspect "guaranteed" the approval of the land issue in the relevant commission of the Kyiv City Council. The SBU detained the suspect during the transfer of a $900,000 advance.
The suspicion was reported under part 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (fraud committed on a particularly large scale or by an organized group). The sanctions of the article provide for a punishment of up to 12 years in prison.
When choosing a preventive measure, the prosecution will seek custody with an alternative bail of 38 million UAH, the law enforcement officials noted. During the investigation, searches were conducted in the offices of the KGGA.
In the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, they reported that the matter concerns a boat station in the coastal area of the Obolon district of Kyiv in "Natalka" park. The company that owns the station has repeatedly attempted to lease 0.5 hectares of land beneath it.
According to prosecutors, one of the directors of the enterprise sought advice from a lawyer from the Odessa region, who promised to resolve the issue using connections in the capital's city council.