Ex-Deputy Minister for occupied territories sentenced to 10 years in prison
On Feb. 23, 2022, the High Anti-Corruption Court found the former Deputy Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons guilty of fraud and incitement to bribery, sentencing him to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property.
The ex-Cabinet member will have to pay UAH 980,000 in property damage and UAH 200,000 in court costs. He was taken into custody right in the courtroom. The case of his accomplice has been closed due to his death.
According to the investigation, a person acting in favor of a private company told the then Deputy Minister he was going through a complicated procedure of approval of permits for construction works within Kyiv territory.
The top official offered to ensure the approval of all necessary documents and asked for USD 1 million. He said the amount was to be distributed among the leadership and officials within the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, the Ukrainian State Institute of Cultural Heritage, and others.
Along with this offer, the Deputy Minister came up with another one: securing a necessary court decision in a civil case. For USD 100 thousand, he allegedly planned to ask the Deputy Prosecutor General to influence the head of the Civil Court of Cassation (part of the Supreme Court), who, in turn, could influence the judges of the same court to pass the right decision.
Subsequently, the amount of illegal profit was reduced to USD 80 thousand. After receiving the first tranche of USD 50 thousand, the Deputy Minister and his accomplice pided the funds between themselves.
On Aug. 14, 2019, the Deputy Minister received USD 450 thousand, a part of the previously agreed USD 1 million (the construction permit issue), and the second tranche of USD 30 thousand (the civil case issue). Right after receiving the money, the top official and his accomplice were detained.
On April 3, 2020, the investigation was completed and the case file was disclosed for review.
In May 2020, the case was referred to court.
Video of Заволодіння чужим майном заступником міністра з питань ТОТ
According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered not-guilty in the commission of a crime and cannot be subject to criminal punishment until he or she is found guilty by court.