In Cherkasy Oblast, the director of a municipal enterprise will stand trial for land contamination

In the Cherkasy region, the director of a municipal enterprise will stand trial on charges of land contamination and official negligence. According to investigators, due to improper operation of the landfill, waste repeatedly ended up in areas not designated for that purpose. The damages caused to the state are estimated at nearly 2 million hryvnias.

 

The Cherkasy Regional Prosecutor’s Office has filed an indictment against the head of one of the region’s municipal enterprises. Investigators believe that the official failed to properly perform his duties, resulting in waste being repeatedly dumped in areas not designated for that purpose. In addition, the director failed to ensure the proper operation of the solid household waste landfill. According to the investigation, he neglected to maintain its proper environmental and sanitary conditions.

 

As a result, waste accumulated, and adjacent land plots became littered and contaminated. The land in question belongs to the state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine.” This situation posed a danger to the environment. The total amount of damages caused to the state was estimated at 1,980,000 UAH. To seek compensation, the prosecutor filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Cherkasy Regional State Administration and the State Environmental Inspection of the Central District.

The director’s actions were classified under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: Part 1 of Article 239—pollution or damage to land—and Part 2 of Article 367—official negligence. The pretrial investigation was conducted by investigators from the Investigative Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Cherkasy region.

However, being charged does not mean that the official is guilty. According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court and convicted. This was reported by the Cherkasy Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

Law enforcement officials have notified an official of the territorial office of the State Geocadastre in Chernivtsi Oblast that he is suspected of illegal enrichment. According to the investigation, the value of the assets he acquired exceeds his legal income by nearly 32 million hryvnias.