Prosecutors have charged a lawyer and two members of an organized crime group for illegally acquiring real estate in downtown Odessa valued at over 11 million hryvnias.
They face charges of fraudulent acquisition of public property, document forgery, illegal occupation of land, and unauthorized construction (Part 3 Art. 28, Parts 3, 4 Art. 358, Part 4 Art. 190, Part 3 Art. 197-1, Part 3 Art. 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The investigation revealed that a city council member, part of the permanent commission on communal property, devised a scheme for illegal enrichment by registering ownership rights to properties owned directly or indirectly by local communities.
He enlisted a lawyer acquaintance and several trusted individuals to execute his plan.
The accomplices sought municipal premises on the first and second floors in the city center, rented them through controlled organizations, and later purchased them without competition.
Next, they expanded the area of the acquired properties by including attics and basements, then registered ownership rights under fictitious names based on forged documents.
Some of the unlawfully obtained non-residential premises were converted into residential apartments and sold to unsuspecting buyers.
In this way, the organized group seized three real estate objects in downtown Odessa and a plot of land, causing over 11 million hryvnias in damages to the community.
The defendants were exposed in May this year, and preventive measures were imposed, including detention with an option for bail.
As part of the criminal proceedings, the prosecution has filed a civil lawsuit for damages recovery.
Materials regarding the organizing member of the group have been separated into a separate case, and an international search has been initiated.
The preliminary investigation was conducted by detectives of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Odessa, with operational support from the Security Service of Ukraine.
Note: According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a lawful manner by a court verdict.
