The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has chosen a preventive measure for the Minister of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine Nikolai Solsky. He was sent into custody, but with the possibility of posting bail in the amount of more than 75 million UAH. This became known from a court hearing on Friday, April 26, reports the EP.
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The VAKS judge granted the request of the prosecutor of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and applied a preventive measure to Solsky in the form of detention for a period of 60 days – until June 24, 2024, but within the period of the pre-trial investigation.
The court determined that an alternative to detention was bail of UAH 75.7 million.
During the hearing, the prosecutor of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office asked the court to select Solskaya as a preventive measure in the form of detention with an alternative to bail of UAH 200 million.
At the same time, the prosecution insisted on detention, arguing that there was a risk of obstructing the investigation, the risk of influencing witnesses and the risk of hiding from the investigation.
In her opinion, the “gravity of the crime” is a basis for limiting the freedom of a person, accused of such a crime. In addition, she appeals to the fact that Solsky repeatedly crossed the border during martial law.
As his lawyer subsequently clarified, all border crossings were due to a work trip, and one was due to an officially agreed vacation.
Solsky's lawyer noted that the prosecution does not explain why another type of preventive measure cannot prevent these risks. In particular, he appeals to the fact that Solsky is an official whose travel abroad can only be carried out with the consent of the Prime Minister, and the fact that he crossed the state border during martial law cannot in itself constitute grounds for restriction of freedom.< /p>In addition, the practice of the European Court of Human Rights is such that the gravity of the charge alone cannot be a basis for restricting freedom.
Also, the defense believes, there is no evidence that Solsky could interfere with the investigation or influence witnesses. Regarding the amount of bail, the lawyer also asked the court to reduce it, because taking into account the taxes paid from the client’s estate, the amount of UAH 200 million is unaffordable.
Recall
On Thursday, April 25, the Minister of Agricultural Policy Nikolai Solsky, suspected of land transactions, wrote a letter of resignation.
On Tuesday, April 23, NABU reported suspicions to Mykola Solsky of organizing a scheme to seize state lands with an area of about 2.5 thousand hectares worth UAH 291 million under the pretext of allocating plots to ATO veterans.
According to the investigation, in 2017 -2021 Solsky, as the owner of a number of agricultural companies, in collusion with the head of the State GeoCadastre of Ukraine and the curators of the State GeoCadastre bodies, decided to take possession of the land that was in use by two state-owned enterprises in the Sumy region.
The attackers first destroyed documents on the basis of which state-owned enterprises had the right to permanent use of land. This was the basis for the regional State GeoCadastre to draw up an act on the unauthorized occupation of these sites by state-owned enterprises.
Subsequently, these lands, with the help of controlled officials of the regional State GeoCadastre, were transferred to private ownership. The lands were transferred to predetermined citizens under the guise of exercising their right to free land, and the condition for receiving the land was the conclusion of an agreement on its lease to an agricultural holding even before receipt.
Solsky does not admit guilt
Solsky does not admit his guilt and assures that the events relate to the period 2017-2018, when he was a lawyer and had not yet been elected as a deputy from the Servant of the People.
According to him, the circumstances of seven years ago relate to a dispute between state enterprises and individuals, including military ATO, for lands provided to the latter for possession.