Former head of SBU in Mykolaiv region accused of enrichment

The former head of the SBU in Mykolaiv region has been served with a notice of suspicion of possible illicit enrichment worth tens of millions of hryvnias. The investigation believes that the luxury real estate could have been registered in the names of relatives to conceal the true origin of the assets.

This was reported by the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office.

SBI officers have served a notice of suspicion to the former head of a law enforcement agency in Mykolaiv region over alleged illicit enrichment. According to the investigation, in 2020-2021, he acquired property worth more than UAH 22.6 million more than his official income allowed.

This is a case of possible illicit enrichment, which, according to the investigation, took place during 2020-2021.

PHOTO: gp.gov.ua

Investigators found that the difference between the official income of the official and the value of the property he acquired exceeds UAH 22.6 million. To verify these facts, the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption conducted a lifestyle monitoring of the suspect, which confirmed the signs of illicit enrichment.

According to the case file, in July 2021, the mother of the suspect's wife, without sufficient official income, purchased a number of properties in the elite residential complex Novopecherski Lypky in Kyiv. These included three parking spaces, a non-residential building with an area of over 130 square meters, and two apartments with a total area of about 200 square meters.

Subsequently, this property was formalized as a gift to the daughter, who, in turn, granted the man the right to use and dispose of it. At the same time, according to the investigation, the total income of the official, his wife and mother-in-law could not cover the cost of purchasing such real estate.

PHOTO: gp.gov.ua

Law enforcement officers believe that the actual owner of the assets was the suspect himself, and that the registration of the property in the names of relatives could be used to conceal its origin. Currently, he has already filed a request for a preventive measure in the form of detention.

As Intent wrote, this is the former head of the regional department of the Security Service of Ukraine in Mykolaiv region , Vitaliy Gersak.

In August 2023, Gersak founded the NGO "Free and Faithful", which organized a conference with the Americans "Creating an Effective Veterans Policy in Ukraine", where the former official tried to raise funds from donors.

The NGO "Free and Faithful" has branches in Vinnytsia, Odesa, and Mykolaiv, where odious figures are listed as leaders. In particular, in Vinnytsia, it is a former regional deputy Viktor Pyhulia, who until 2020 was constantly running for the local council from the Opposition Bloc, and, according to a court case, did not give his partner the $10,000 he had been extorted from him.

In Odesa, there is a local ex-deputy from the Servant of the People party, Oleh Kaptur, who has a mixed reputation. And in Mykolaiv, Rustamdzham Sadridinov, a member of the Party of Regions under Yanukovych.

In 2021, after Vitaliy Gersak was dismissed from his post, an internal investigation was conducted against him.

Анна Бальчінос