Position: former director of the Khotynsky National Nature Park.
Sphere of corruption: natural resources.
Region of corruption activity: Chernivtsi region.
Qualification: Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Status: The Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Chernivtsi arrested Popovetskyi with the alternative of 2 million UAH bail. This decision was left unchanged by the Chernivtsi Court of Appeal. The suspect was bailed and released from custody.
Case story: On October 9, 2024, the State Bureau of Investigation and the Chernivtsi Oblast SEP detained Popovetsky. According to the investigation, the businessman contacted the director of the Khotyn National Park to arrange a long-term lease of land plots in the park for the construction of a recreation center. The official told him that he would sign lease agreements for $65,000.
On September 11, Popovetsky signed the first agreement on the long-term use of a land plot for the purpose of carrying out recreational activities for a period of 25 years. On October 9, the director of the Khotyn National Park signed two more similar agreements on the provision of two plots of land with an area of 0.12 hectares each. On the same day, he received $65 thousand and was detained.
Later, the case was transferred to the NABU. Therefore, the detective requested that the investigation be extended for up to six months.
The request of the senior detective of the NABU to extend the term of the pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings shall be granted. To extend the term of the pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings on suspicion (of Popovetsky – ed.) of committing a criminal offense provided for in Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code, until April 10, 2025 inclusive
The Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Chernivtsi arrested Popovetskyi with the alternative of 2 million UAH bail.
This decision was left unchanged by the Chernivtsi Court of Appeal. The suspect was paid bail and released from custody. Popovetsky was ordered to: appear at the first request; not leave the Chernivtsi region without permission; report any change in his place of residence and/or place of work; and surrender his foreign passports. The SAPO prosecutor requested that they be extended.
The request of the prosecutor of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office to extend the term of the duties assigned to the suspect (Popovetsky - ed.) - to be granted. To extend the term of the duties of the suspect, stipulated in Part 5 of Article 194 of the Criminal Procedure Code, until January 28, 2025 inclusive.
In April 2025, the SAPO sent an indictment to the court against the former director of the Khotynsky National Nature Park, Heorhiy Popovetsky, for receiving $65,000 in illegal benefits.
On April 2, 2025, the SAPO and NABU submitted to the court an indictment against the former director of the National Nature Park in Chernivtsi region, who was caught receiving $65,000 in illegal gain. His actions were classified under Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Persons potentially involved in corruption schemes: being identified.
Assets: In particular, Heorhiy Popovetskyi owns a land plot with an area of 550 square meters in the village of Karapchiv, Vyzhnytskyi district, and in the same village - a residential building with an area of 144 square meters. Here he also has a warehouse with an area of 36,390 square meters and a sawmill with an area of 23,330 square meters and part of a non-residential building with an area of 1,766 square meters. Purchased in 2007. In joint ownership with his wife and her relative, he owns a residential building in Karapchiv (area of 63 square meters). His wife owns a land plot with an area of 72 thousand square meters in the same village, purchased in 2018. In 2019, Georgy Popovetskyi purchased land here with an area of 48 thousand sq m. In 2021, the wife purchased a plot of 173 squares and non-residential premises (area - 47 sq m) in the city of Vashkivtsi. In 2023, Georgy Popovetskyi bought a residential building in Karapchev with an area of 74 sq m. and two land plots of over 3 and 2.5 thousand sq m. In 2024, the wife acquired another land plot - an area of 2400 sq m.
Maria Popovetska owns a Mercedes Sprinter 311, manufactured in 2001, for 50 thousand UAH, agricultural machinery MTZ 82, manufactured in 2003, for 75 thousand UAH, and a CLAAS DOMINATOR 86, manufactured in 1983.
Heorhiy Popovetskyi has a 1999 MERCEDES-BENZ 212D for 250 thousand UAH, and his wife has a 2008 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER PRADO for 640 thousand UAH. In 2022, Heorhiy Popovetskyi purchased a VOLKSVAGEN CADDY for 182 thousand UAH, and in 2023 he added a trailer, the cost of which is 22,000 UAH.
At his main place of work, Heorhiy Popovetskyi earned UAH 144,369 in 2024.
The wife keeps $5,000 in cash.
Persons who should have reacted: in the case of Popovetsky, law enforcement officers reacted in a timely manner.
Scandals: There is no information in open sources about other scandals in which Popovetskyi would appear.
Sources:
https://public.nazk.gov.ua/documents/0391809d-02b3-43e5-a11c-375b433b9a4c