Officials of Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences exposed in illegal land development scheme in Kyiv

Under the procedural supervision of the Office of the Prosecutor General, three officials of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Ukraine have been served with suspicion notices in connection with the illegal change of designated use of a land plot, the Office of the Prosecutor General reported.

The office said on Telegram on Wednesday that the case involves nearly 5 hectares in the capital, allocated to a state enterprise for the maintenance of road transport and highway facilities.

"Despite this, the plot was used for residential development," the prosecutor’s office stressed.

According to the investigation, a former director of a limited liability company initiated the scheme and recruited the former head of a NAS state motor transport enterprise, who signed an agreement that effectively provided for residential construction in violation of the land’s designated purpose.

"A current NAS official was subsequently brought in, who ensured that amendments were made to state registers, allowing the construction to continue," the statement clarified.

The prosecutor’s office stressed that the unlawful actions caused damages to the state of over UAH 2.3 million, as confirmed by a forensic examination.

All three individuals have been served with suspicion notices under Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

A court motion has been filed seeking pre-trial detention measures, the seizure of the land plot, and the suspension from office of one of the suspects.