Mykolaiv region national park management to be tried for extortion

Law enforcement officers have completed an investigation into the head and employees of a national park in Mykolaiv region. Over two years, they have illegally received millions of hryvnias and will now stand trial.

This was reported by the press service of the State Bureau of Investigation.

Investigators of the State Bureau of Investigation have completed proceedings against the management of the Sviatoslav Biloberezhzhia National Park in Mykolaiv region. The indictment has already been submitted to the court.

According to the investigation, starting in 2022, the park's director, together with his deputy and chief accountant, set up two corruption schemes.

The first one involved blackmailing employees: five subordinates were forced to give their superiors bonuses of 200% of their legally accrued salaries every month. Those who disagreed were threatened with dismissal or transfer.

The second scheme involved fake employment. Three men who sought to avoid mobilization were formally employed in a park and given a reservation by the service. In reality, they had no intention of working, and their payroll cards ended up with their supervisors.

In this way, the criminals misappropriated almost UAH 3 million over two years. At the end of 2024, they were detained while receiving another kickback from their subordinates.

All the defendants are charged with bribery and misappropriation of property through abuse of office. They face up to 12 years in prison under the articles of the Criminal Code.

Three employees who had formally been employed by the national park to receive armor were suspected of aiding and abetting the seizure of other people's property and face up to 8 years in prison.

In July 2023, the director of the Sviatoslav's White Banks National Park was suspected of misappropriation of property through abuse of office.

In April 2025, he was released from the Mykolaiv pre-trial detention center after posting bail. The last extortion for UAH 340 thousand was the basis for the arrest of the suspects in December 2024.

Анна Бальчінос