Kherson resident collects money from market traders and gets five years in prison

In Kherson, the former official was sentenced to five years in prison for collaborating with the occupiers - he worked as a controller at a market seized by the Russians. The court also confiscated half of his apartment.

This was reported by the Center for Investigative Journalism with reference to the court' s verdict.

The Kherson resident was found guilty of collaboration. In 2022, he voluntarily took a job as a controller at the Russian-held Central Market, where he collected fees from entrepreneurs.

According to the case file, 42-year-old Volodymyr Bersan is a native of Chornobaivka and a former employee of the Kherson City Council. In July 2022, after the Russian occupiers appointed a new market manager, Oleksandr Pitomets, he signed an employment contract and agreed to work at an enterprise controlled by the invaders.

Bersan stated in court that he had no means of subsistence, so he perceived this job as a temporary income until Kherson was liberated. According to him, he collected 20-90 hryvnias from traders every day and handed the money to the cashier. His salary was about 10 thousand hryvnias. The accused did not admit his guilt.

However, the prosecution insisted that the market was under the full control of the occupation authorities, and all the controllers who had worked there before the invasion had resigned. The new employees, including Bersan, had been hired by Russian representatives. This was confirmed by numerous witnesses in court.

The court found Volodymyr Bersan guilty under Part 4 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. In addition to the prison term, he was banned from holding any positions in government and from doing business for 15 years. Half of his apartment will also be confiscated. The sentence has not yet entered into force.

Also in Kherson region, a deputy who headed an organization created by the invaders during the occupation and contributed to the integration of local businesses into the Russian economy will be tried. He was involved in registering entrepreneurs in Russian structures, putting them on tax records, helping to obtain patents and certifying products according to the standards of the aggressor country.

Анна Бальчінос