The former mayor of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi remains in custody: he faces 12 years.

The former mayor of the city of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi in Odesa region, Vitalii Hrazhdan, has been kept in custody for another 3 months. He is suspected of organizing a scheme for extorting money with threats of violence under martial law.

The Prymorskyi district court rejected the defense's motion regarding the change of the preventive measure for the former mayor of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Vitalii Hrazhdan. Instead of the desired house arrest, he was kept in custody for another 60 days. The judges explained that the defense failed to provide documents that would show that new circumstances had arisen for changing the preventive measure.

What the mayor is accused of

The former mayor of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Vitalii Hrazhdan, along with accomplices, deceived the owner of a recreation base into transferring the property to a company controlled by him. Initially, the woman received 50% of the corporate rights to the complex, but later she was removed from management and revenues.

When buyers appeared, the former mayor of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, along with his accomplices, threatened her and her relatives with physical violence if she did not transfer the remaining rights. To implement the scheme, the suspect involved an acquaintance lawyer, registrars, and notaries. Vitalii Hrazhdan was detained while receiving $30,000 as an advance.

In 2024, Vitalii Hrazhdan was removed from office. He was charged with organizing extortion with threats of violence under martial law (part 3 of article 27, part 4 of article 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). For this, Hrazhdan faces up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.