The head of a village council in Volyn has been sentenced to 5.5 years in prison for land fraud.

The Kivertsi District Court has issued a verdict against Viktor Lukyanchuk, the head of the Perespivka Village Council, for bribery. The official demanded a reward of $6,000 from an entrepreneur for allocating 2 hectares of land for a transport and logistics center. For his actions, the accused was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison with the confiscation of all his property.

According to the verdict dated January 24, in November 2019, an entrepreneur approached Viktor Lukyanchuk and the director of a local project and expert company, seeking to acquire 2 hectares of land in the community for private ownership. The man explained that the plot was necessary for constructing a transport and logistics center, which would include a parking area for trucks, a service facility for their maintenance, as well as a café and a hotel.

As per the investigation, the village council head, together with the land surveyor, agreed to provide the entrepreneur with the land plot, but he was required to pay a bribe of $6,000, of which $4,000 was intended for Viktor Lukyanchuk and the remainder for his accomplice. The official was detained while receiving part of the sum – $1,500.

In court, the accused denied his guilt and claimed that he was provoked into accepting the money, despite stating that he did not need it. However, the evidence collected and testimonies from witnesses contradicted the official's statements.

Judge Oleksandr Kostiukevych found Viktor Lukyanchuk guilty under part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (acceptance of unlawful benefits by a public servant, committed in conspiracy and for selfish motives) and sentenced him to 5.5 years in prison with confiscation of all property. The decision can still be appealed in the appellate court.