Big scandal is raised around lands leased by BSF

21.09.2010 Ukraine's General Procuracy continues inquiry into illegal land deals led to the fact that Russia's Black Sea Fleet (BSF) lost about 400 hectares of leased lands. That was reported by Russian newspaper New Izvestiya.

According to the newspaper, Alexander Gress is fallen into remand prison; he headed supervisory council of KrymNIIproekt and was a partner of Alexander Kunitsyn, ex-mayor of Sevastopol and current presidential envoy to the Crimean autonomy. Mr. Gress is suspected of embezzlement of almost $8 mln.

Initiator of the "land scandal" was Gennady Basov, member of Sevastopol's city council and the head of Russian Block parliamentary party. He informed Russian Administration, Russian General Procuracy, and Ukrainian law-enforcement agencies about land machinations.

According to Basov, "there's information that Kunitsyn managed to sell off lands even around Konstantinovsky Ravelin, right near entrance to Sevastopol harbor".

"As of today, dozens of criminal cases were initiated upon the facts of land squandering; there are some partners of Kunitsyn among arrestees", said MP Alexander Chernomorov, deputy head of Russian community in Crimea. According to Chernomorov, new facts of illegal privatization will be revealed soon.

Totally, since autumn 2009 till April 2010 when the agreement on BSF lease extension was ratified, Sevastopol city administration had issued 38 decrees related to BSF lands. Thirteen of them deal with land acquisition by individuals and corporate bodies. It is noteworthy that at least 7 acts were issued on the day of leadership change in Sevastopol city administration, i.e. on Apr 6, 2010. So, private persons got land plots on shore of Karantinnaya bay, near town of Kacha, streets of Katernaya, Chelnokova, Drevnyaia, Solenaya bay, Kazachya bay, and Khersones Cape where Russian airdrome is located.