More than a hundred fictitious certificates for soy — that is how many export documents were issued based on forged phytosanitary analysis results.

The scheme involved the deputy head of the department of the Chernivtsi regional phytosanitary testing laboratory of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection and two of her subordinates.

Without actually conducting analyses, the laboratory officials unlawfully entered false data into the automated system "LIMS" — a program for recording research results. Based on the falsified records, phytosanitary analysis protocols were formed, which were subsequently used to illegally issue export certificates.

Prosecutors of the Chernivtsi regional prosecutor's office proved in court the guilt of the accused in unauthorized interference with the automated system and official forgery (Part 3 of Article 362, Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

All three were sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment with a prohibition on working with automated systems for a period of three years.

The pre-trial investigation in this case was conducted by investigators of the Main Investigation Department of the National Police in the Chernivtsi region with operational support from the Security Service of Ukraine in the Chernivtsi region.