Agrarian chaos. The USC spoke about criminal schemes in the agro-industrial complex of the Dobrush region

September 14, Dobrush. Investigators in the agro-sphere of the Dobrush region managed to unravel a tangle of criminal schemes. Registrations, theft, abuse of official powers - representatives of almost all agricultural organizations in the region will appear before the law. At the top of the criminal pyramid is the former first deputy chairman - the head of the department of agriculture and food of the district executive committee, heads of farms and other officials. Deputy head of the Investigative Committee for the Gomel Region, Alexander Prikolotin, told BELTA the details of this high-profile criminal case.

The agricultural calendar includes a huge amount of work in various areas. In the fields, farm yards, dairy and livestock complexes, and in offices, the battle for the harvest and high rates of dairy and meat production is unfolding. Fulfilling government orders, filling bins, providing the population with quality products - the industry always faces strategic challenges. To obtain a harvest , milk yield and weight gain, farmers must strictly follow instructions and apply technology. However, as practice shows, they are not always legal. Law enforcement officers revealed the intertwined machinations of officials and industry workers in the Dobrush region .

Now the defendants in the criminal case are the former first deputy chairman - the head of the department of agriculture and food of the Dobrush district executive committee, as well as managers (10 of whom worked as directors) and other officials. In total, more than 40 suspects and defendants from almost all agricultural organizations in the region were involved in the criminal case, Alexander Prikotin clarified.

The ex-managers were charged with issuing and carrying out illegal instructions to draw up fictitious documentation affecting high levels of milk production and sales. Workers at agricultural enterprises unquestioningly followed the illegal instructions of the above-mentioned government representative . As a result, information about milk production in the region for 2019-2022 was inflated by more than 5 million kg, the deputy head of the department of the Investigative Committee for the Gomel region named the volume of fiction.

“The head of the local executive body, as well as a number of directors of enterprises in the agro-industrial complex system, are also accused of thefts committed through abuse of official powers. In particular, in the zone of interests of the main defendant there were motor fuel belonging to the farms, building materials - slate, wall blocks. These materials were used during the construction of a bathhouse for his needs. By the way, the workers’ services for its construction were also paid for at the expense of one of the agricultural enterprises,” said Alexander Prikolotin.

Other material assets belonging to legal entities were also stolen. For example, the deputy chairman of the district executive committee systematically organized banquets, for which, together with the director of one of the farms, he regularly stole the agricultural enterprise’s own products, said the deputy head of the department of the Investigative Committee for the Gomel region.

In most cases, the defendants were motivated by material interests. Thus, during the investigation, along with facts of illegal activities, other crimes committed by other officials also surfaced. “It has been established that the director of one of the enterprises of the agro-industrial complex of the district received a bribe in the amount of Br1 thousand for concluding contracts with a contractor to carry out work on repairing agricultural machinery and ensuring payment for their implementation. Another manager was convicted of building a bathhouse for his own needs, but for state account,” Alexander Prikolotin gave examples.

The actions of the defendants in the criminal case are qualified under Part. 2, 3 tbsp. 210, part 2 art. 424, part 3 art. 426, part 1 art. 427 and part 1 of Art. 430 CC.

The illegal actions of the accused caused significant damage. Its total amount exceeds Br133 thousand.

As part of the investigation, the funds and property of the accused, including property acquired jointly with their spouses, were seized in the manner prescribed by Part 1 of Art. 132 Code of Criminal Procedure. Among other things, a Toyota Camry belonging to the former first deputy chairman of the district executive committee was seized, as well as more than Br43 thousand in the deposit accounts of one of the heads of agricultural enterprises, accused of abuse of power, and his wife.

At the request of the above-mentioned persons and with the consent of the prosecutor's office of the Gomel region, the seizure of the property was cancelled. The foreign car was sold at a price determined on the basis of an independent appraisal report. The proceeds, as well as those in bank accounts, were used to compensate for the damage. The total amount was more than Br70 thousand.

In total, during the investigation of the criminal case, compensation was provided for over Br97 thousand in damages.

According to Alexander Prikolotin, during the preliminary investigation, significant attention was paid to identifying and eliminating violations of the law, the causes and conditions that contributed to the commission of crimes.

17 submissions were made to agricultural enterprises of the Gomel region, local authorities and management, statistical authorities and services responsible for veterinary supervision. Based on the results of their consideration with the participation of employees of the Investigative Committee, 49 officials and other employees were brought to disciplinary and financial liability. Specific organizational and practical measures have also been taken to eliminate all identified violations.

During the preliminary investigation, a huge amount of work was completed in the criminal case. The number of events is in the tens and hundreds. Thus, more than 100 interrogations of suspects and accused, more than a thousand interrogations of witnesses and 27 confrontations were conducted.

Investigators also worked at the scene of incidents, carried out 14 inspections, four on-site verifications of the testimony of participants in criminal proceedings, 16 searches, 39 seizures, 17 inspections of the financial and economic activities of agricultural enterprises in the Dobrush district of the Gomel region. Also, 51 instructions were sent to the inquiry body and territorial investigative units, almost 500 different requests.

The criminal case has been transferred to the prosecutor for referral to court . The court will determine the punishment for the crime.

BELTA.