A resident of Mykolaiv region was sentenced in absentia to 6 years in prison after being appointed as the director of a company by the occupying forces.

A resident of Mykolaiv region, who was appointed director of a company by the occupiers, has been sentenced in absentia to six years in prison.

The individual from Mykolaiv Oblast, designated as the director of the "Municipal Unitary Enterprise 'Snihyrivske Blahoustriystvo'" by the occupiers, was sentenced in absentia to six years of imprisonment.

This was stated in the ruling of the Bashtanka District Court of Mykolaiv Oblast, published on October 14.

During the court proceedings, it was established that a 46-year-old resident of the city of Snihyrivka, who previously worked as a driver at a local improvement enterprise before the occupation, voluntarily agreed to collaborate with the aggressor state after the Russian army occupied the territory of Mykolaiv Oblast, creating the enterprise "MUP 'Snihyrivske Blahoustriystvo'."

“On September 1, 2022, the defendant, in compliance with the aforementioned decree 'On the establishment of the Municipal Unitary Enterprise 'Snihyrivske Blahoustriystvo,' submitted documents to the so-called 'Tax Service of Kherson Oblast' for the registration of the illegally created enterprise 'MUP 'Snihyrivske Blahoustriystvo'... Driven by ideological and selfish motives, he began to perform organizational, administrative, and economic functions in the capacity of director of the so-called MUP 'Snihyrivske Blahoustriystvo,' which were aimed at supporting the occupation regime and ensuring the activities of the illegal authority of the so-called 'VGA Snihyrivskyi Raion' under the control of the occupation authorities, specifically: he recruited workers to support the activities of his controlled enterprise,” - stated in the case materials.

The criminal proceedings were considered in the special court proceedings in the absence of the defendant, as he did not provide testimony to the court, and his defense was conducted by a lawyer.

During the court proceedings, employees of the enterprise hired by the defendant were interrogated. They informed the court that there were no Russian soldiers at the enterprise and that they did not see any pressure being exerted on the defendant by the occupiers; on the contrary, he often traveled to the 'administration' and even threatened others with his connections to the Russian military.

Additionally, the case materials include a series of documents found in the 'enterprise's' office after the de-occupation of the city of Snihyrivka. These papers confirm the active involvement of the defendant as head of MUP 'Snihyrivske Blahoustriystvo.'

The court disagreed with the defense's position that the defendant's actions could have been committed under extreme necessity. The testimonies of witnesses and the fact that the defendant could move freely around the city and even leave its borders indicate otherwise.

“From the witness testimonies, it follows that during his time as the head of the so-called MUP 'Snihyrivske Blahoustriystvo,' no one threatened the defendant. Witnesses... also indicated that there were no outsiders, military personnel, or other Russians at the indicated enterprise. Moreover, Witness No. 8 stated that the defendant himself threatened other Russian soldiers, naming their call signs; he also regularly visited the occupation administration and left the city of Snihyrivka with the occupation administration before its de-occupation. Furthermore, all witnesses indicated that they were hired directly by the defendant on a voluntary basis without coercion. Written evidence, specifically information on salary payments for September 2022, confirms that the defendant received wages for the work performed,” - stated in the case materials.

According to the criminal case materials, on January 13, 2023, the suspect was informed in absentia of suspicion of committing a criminal offense under Part 5 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code. Summons were published for the accused to appear before the pre-trial investigation authority to receive the notification of suspicion.

“According to the report from the Security Service of Ukraine in Mykolaiv Oblast dated August 10, 2023, the accused is hiding in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, specifically in the city of Skadovsk in Kherson Oblast, thereby evading appearance in court,” - stated in the court ruling.

As a result, a decision was made to find the suspect guilty of committing a criminal offense under Part 5 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and to impose a sentence of six years in prison, with a prohibition on holding positions in state authorities and local self-government, as well as positions related to the provision of public services, for a period of ten years, along with the confiscation of all his property.

Earlier, the suspect had been placed on the wanted list.