Radiation Harvest: Farmers Grew Grains in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone and Sold Them to Bakery Factories

25 August 21:12

VIDEO

The police and prosecutors have exposed an organized group that illegally used radiation-contaminated land, part of the territory of the unconditional resettlement zone after the Chornobyl disaster. On plots of more than 3,000 hectares, they grew crops and sold them without the necessary dosimetric control, causing the state to suffer losses of UAH 6.6 million, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing information from the National Police.

According to the Department for Hazardous Materials, together with the Main Investigation Department of the National Police and the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor’s Office, it is known that in 2021, the village head of one of the communities in the Zhytomyr region illegally transferred state land to farms that are part of the mandatory resettlement zone.

*The farmers used the radioactively contaminated land to grow crops*

A forensic examination confirmed that these plots are radiation hazardous. Nevertheless, they grew wheat, sunflower, corn, buckwheat, sugar beets, and rapeseed there. The products were sold all over Ukraine without proper safety control, which became the basis for calculating the damage in the amount of UAH 6.6 million. The investigation also found that the grain contaminated with radiation was even supplied to state-owned bakeries.

The offenders tried to legalize the illegal activity. To do this, the village head signed preliminary lease agreements along with land transfer certificates. This scheme allowed formalizing the transfer of radiation plots, although in fact it was a violation of the law.

*The director of one of the companies created an organized group, in which he involved the head of another company and a deputy of one of the village councils*

Currently, several participants in the “deal” have been notified of suspicion:

former village head;
a land surveyor of the village council;
three directors of farms;
a former deputy of the village council.

They are charged with several serious articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

abuse of office;
unauthorized occupation of land (organized group);
seizure of state property with legalization;
violation of radiation safety requirements.

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The suspects are currently being chosen a measure of restraint.

*The issue of choosing a measure of restraint for the suspects and seizing their property is being decided*

In addition, the investigation is already planning to seize their property to ensure compensation to the state for the damage caused. In addition, the investigation of the facts of illegal transfer of radiation-hazardous land in 2022, which have already been recorded by the investigation, is ongoing.

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Мандровська Олександра

Editor