Director of the Institute of Agroecology and Environmental Management of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine and former Chairman of Lviv Regional Council Orest Furdychko, who was detained earlier on suspicion of extorting a bribe, has been arrested for 60 days, with the alternative to post Hr 3 million bail, according to a statement posted on the website of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).
The director of a research institution, which is not named, was detained together with his accomplice who, in turn, was taken into custody, with the alternative to post Hr 1 million bail.
According to the NABU, the detainees extorted an illegal benefit of $500,000 for its alleged transfer to the leadership of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine “for the unimpeded implementation of the agreement on joint activities between the research institution and a business entity.”
On Dec. 31, the detainees were notified of suspicion in committing crimes envisaged by Part 2, Article 28, Part 3, Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (obtaining an illegal benefit for influence on decision-making by a person authorized to perform functions of the state, combined with extortion committed by prior agreement with an organized group or a criminal organization).
“At the same time, we recall that in accordance with Part 1, Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered not guilty of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until his or her guilt is proven in law and established by a court conviction,” the report says.
As reported, Furdychko, 65, was detained on Dec. 30 in his office at the Institute of Agroecology and Environmental Management of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences in Kyiv, while receiving a part of the illegal benefit of $300,000 from a private entrepreneur.
Furdychko has headed the forestry industry in Lviv region since the 1990s and the media associated him with large-scale abuse in this area.
In 1990-1997, he served as deputy of Lviv Regional Council, and in 1997-1998, he worked as chairman of Lviv Regional Council. In 1998-2002, he was a people’s deputy of Ukraine. Later he occupied leading positions at the State Forestry Committee of Ukraine and the Environmental Protection Ministry.
