An official from one of the village councils in the Mukachevo district was caught while receiving 100,000 hryvnias in illegal benefits for the unobstructed transfer of a land plot in the community for a children's tent city.

The head of the public organization involved in this project was informed by the accused that a payment of 200,000 hryvnias was required for the permit to place the facility. Under this condition, he promised to resolve all further issues that might arise for the NGO due to the use of communal land.

To conceal his criminal activity, the official involved a relative as an intermediary in receiving the bribe. In May 2025, he received the first tranche of illegal benefits through him.

As part of the pre-trial investigation, the head of the village council was suspended from his position. His property and cash, which were discovered during the search, were seized.

Prosecutors from the Uzhhorod District Prosecutor's Office, based on the results of the pre-trial investigation conducted by the Uzhhorod District Police with operational support from the Security Service of Ukraine in the Transcarpathian region, submitted an indictment to the court for consideration. The actions of the village council official were classified as extortion and receiving illegal benefits by a public official (part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), and his relative was charged with aiding in the commission of this crime (part 5 of Article 27, part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

At the request of the prosecution, they were taken into custody during the investigation with the option of posting bail.

Note: According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a guilty verdict of the court.