A rank-and-file aide to an MP rents forest land for one dollar per hectare

A rank-and-file aide to an MP rents forest land for one dollar per hectare

The court refused to declare invalid the contract for the use of a forest plot of 6,6 ha on the territory of the Starosiletske forestry on the territory of the village of Kvitneve in Korostyshiv district of Zhytomyr region.

This is evidenced by the ruling of the Kyiv Commercial Court of Appeal dated 15 November, writes Nashi Hroshi.

In February this year the Zhytomyr Regional State Administration approved the allocation of 6,6 ha of forest for use for a term of 49 years to Valeriy Varyvoda, who is an aide to People’s Deputy from the People’s Front Pavlo Dziublyk. 09.03.2016 Varyvoda and the Subsidiary Enterprise “Korostyshiv Forestry APK” concluded the relevant contract.

Subsequently, the deputy prosecutor of Zhytomyr region petitioned the court to cancel the RSA order and return the forest plot to the state.

The courts of the first two instances denied the prosecutor’s claim.

In their explanations, the prosecutors pointed out that the regional council, not the RSA, had the right to dispose of the indicated plot. The courts noted that SE “Korostyshiv Forestry APK” is indeed subordinate to the regional council. However, the latter did not register the state ownership right for these forest lands. And in such cases the regional state administration disposes of the land.

Separately, the prosecutor’s office also pointed to the improper determination of the rental fee. Thus, according to the contract, Varyvoda pays for the use of the forest plot in hryvnia equivalent calculated at 1 US dollars per 1 ha of forest per year at the NBU exchange rate.

The court noted that the decision to set the amount of the fee must be made by the Zhytomyr Regional Council. But until it did so, the parties agreed on such payment.

In 2015 year Valeriy Varyvoda ran for mayor of Korostyshiv but took third place. In 2014 he became a candidate for People’s Deputy in constituency No. 66. Pavlo Dziublyk also ran there and ultimately won. Varyvoda took fourth place, behind the “regional” Vitaliy Zhuravskyi and the son of former speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn, Ivan.

Dziublyk in 2010 year was elected a deputy of the Zhytomyr Regional Council from All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland". And in April 2014 the acting president Oleksandr Turchynov appointed him head of the Chernyakhiv District State Administration.