Chairman of the Volyn Court of Appeal Viktor Gaponchuk took the side of black loggers who sawed oak trees in the Tsumanskaya Pushcha national park in Volyn

As it became known from the media, since July 2023, the DBI has been investigating criminal proceedings for the illegal logging of centuries-old oak trees in the Tsumanskaya Pushcha National Park.

From previously published materials, it was established that Yuri Shevchuk, the owner of the woodworking enterprise Wood-Prom Company LLC, was involved in illegal logging, and also heads the Goryn TMR, the territory of which borders on the Tsumanskaya Pushcha nature reserve.

Yesterday, DBR employees reported suspicions to the director of the Kivertsovo NPP “Tsumanskaya Pushcha” Vitaly Derkach and the owner of the specified woodworking enterprise Yuri Shevchuk of illegally cutting down 48 oaks and other trees on the territory of the Kivertsovo NPP “Tsumanskaya Pushcha”, resulting in UAH 000,000.

In addition, it is known that during investigative actions by law enforcement agencies in the village of Ozyutichi, Vladimir region, near the territory of Wood-Prom Company LLC, 870 logs of oak wood with a total cubic mass of 600 cubic meters were discovered in the forest. of unknown origin, which was seized by the Lutsk City District Court and transferred to state administration (ARMA).

However, according to information from anonymous sources, the owner of Wood-Prom Company LLC, Yuri Shevchuk, is trying, through the Volyn Court of Appeal and its Chairman Viktor Gaponchuk, to cancel the seizure of the specified timber, which was obviously cut down illegally.

Thus, as a result of monitoring the register of court decisions, it was established that previously law enforcement officers had already seized finished forest products with a volume of more than 25 cubic meters and 40 logs of oak wood with an approximate cubic mass of 30 cubic meters, seized on the territory of Wood-Prom Company LLC. However, despite the resonance and insolence of the “black lumberjacks,” the chairman of the Volyn Court of Appeal, Viktor Gaponchuk, canceled the arrest and sent the case for a new trial to the Lutsk City District Court, which, taking into account the decision made by the judge of the highest instance, refused to impose the arrest. The appeal court upheld their decision by refusing to satisfy the prosecutor's complaint.

Apparently, in the same way, Yuriy Shevchuk plans to cancel the seizure of 870 logs of centuries-old oak trees worth more than 21,000,000 UAH, which have already been transferred by the Lutsk City District Court to state administration (ARMA).

The question arises, on whose side is the truth and whether the Volyn Court of Appeal will cancel the seizure of this wood in a similar way, despite the fact that the investigation in criminal proceedings continues and the final point has not been set?