Case description
The NABU suspects two lawyers—Yurii Zontov and Yurii Donets—of inciting to provide a USD 100,000 bribe to a judge of District Administrative Court of Kyiv.
On April 7, 2021, NABU detectives detained two lawyers for receiving a USD 100,000 bribe. According to the investigation, they had to hand it over to a DACK judge for making the necessary decision in a case of declaring a tax assessment notice illegal and canceling it.
A tax dispute arose between the insurance company Axe Capital and the tax authorities. The tax office imposed a fine of more than UAH 54 million on the company, and the company filed a lawsuit with the District Administrative Court of Kyiv (DACK) to cancel this decision.
Axe Capital Insurance Company LLC appointed Serhii Kovalenko as liquidator, assigning him the functions of carrying out the liquidation procedure of the company.
According to the investigation, during one of the meetings in the Silpo supermarket, lawyer Yurii Donets proposed to Kovalenko to “settle things” with a judge, suggesting that Judge Pavlo Vovk could rule in favor of the company if he received USD 120,000. Donets claimed that he had connections in the court and that there was a real possibility to influence the decision if the money was transferred “through the right person.” That person turned out to be Yurii Zontov, the brother of former DACK Chairman Pavlo Vovk. Donets engaged him as an intermediary who allegedly could secure “the right decision” through his family ties.
When Kovalenko suggested reducing the bribe to USD 100,000, Donets allegedly promised to “settle” this with Zontov. They had several meetings during which they discussed further steps. Donets kept insisting that only through bribery and the right connections could the case be won, even despite having strong expert evidence on hand.
Later, Donets allegedly informed Kovalenko through Telegram that he would receive information about the decision at the beginning of the week and that it might be necessary to transfer part of the unlawful benefit. Later, according to the investigation, he again called Kovalenko via Telegram and informed him that Judge Vovk had preliminarily agreed to issue a ruling in favor of the company, and it was proposed to transfer the first part of the amount — USD 20,000.
Then, during the next meeting, Kovalenko said that he currently had only USD 10,000. Donets agreed to accept that amount. They went together to a branch of Kredobank JSC, where Kovalenko took the money from a safe deposit box and handed it over.
A few days later, Zontov called Donets, insisted on receiving the remaining amount and said that the judge would issue a ruling in favor of the company, urging him to prepare the text of the court decision for transfer.
Thus, Kovalenko handed over another USD 90,000, as well as a flash drive with the draft court decision and its printed copy. Later that same day, Donets gave Zontov USD 80,000 and the flash drive with the draft decision, keeping the remaining USD 10,000 for himself. The next day, the NABU detained the lawyers.
Yurii Zontov is the brother of Pavlo Vovk, former head of the District Administrative Court.
Yuri Zontov is also suspected of entering false data into the e-declaration. This was the first suspicion notice served after the restoration of criminal liability for false declaration.
Zontov is accused under Art. 190 (4), Art. 369 (3), Art. 366-2(2) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Donets is accused under Art. 190(4), Art. 369(3) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
During one of the hearings, the HACC adjourned the case of Yurii Zontov and Yurii Donets because Zontov failed to appear in court. It was established that he is serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stationed in the combat zone, and was unable to join the hearing even remotely. The panel of judges stated it would request the military unit to clarify the possibility of Zontov’s participation in court hearings.
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