Head of Belgorod-Dniester Water Management Department confesses to corruption

The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine has approved a plea agreement between the prosecutor and Borys Burlak, head of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Interdistrict Water Management Department of the State Agency for Fisheries, on the latter's guilty plea to receiving illegal benefits.

The court sentenced the official to eight years in prison with deprivation of the right to hold positions related to the performance of organizational, administrative or administrative and economic functions for a period of one year and confiscation of property, however, he was released from prison with a probationary period of three years.

In April 2024, Borys Burlaka was approached by a local businessman who stated that he wanted to lease a land plot along the Odesa-Tatarbunary-Ismail-Reni road to build a modern truck parking lot.

According to the case file, Borys Burlaka had established ties with the head of the Starokozatske village council of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district of Odesa region, and he agreed with the head of the Black Sea and Lower Danube River Basin Water Resources Administration. The idea was to lease the water resources through a fictitious tender procedure to a selected entrepreneur, and each of the officials involved would receive a bribe. The total amount of the unlawful benefit to be transferred by the lessee was 40 thousand dollars.

The agreement also requires the official to pay UAH 2 million to an official account opened by the National Bank of Ukraine to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the first within 30 days and the second within 6 months of the agreement's approval.

Last year, the HACC also continued its investigation into the case of the State Water Agency branch. According to the investigation, Pukalo, being the head of the Black Sea and Lower Danube River Basin Water Resources Management, was involved in the case along with the head of the Starokozatske village council, Boyko, and Burlaka.

Кирило Бойко