Case description
On October 12, 2023, the HACC, based on a plea agreement, convicted lawyer Oleh Horetskyi, who helped former Supreme Court Chairman Vsevolod Kniaziev receive a USD 2.7 million bribe.
Horetskyi, in collusion with notary Kyrylo Horburov, acted as an intermediary in the transfer of a bribe to the leadership of the Supreme Court. In March–April 2023, Horetskyi received USD 2.7 million (USD 1.8 million for Supreme Court judges and the rest for intermediaries). Later, Horetskyi and Kniaziev were exposed while receiving the last tranche of USD 450,000.
The investigation believes that Kostiantyn Zhevaho planned to bribe Supreme Court judges in order to overturn a decision unfavourable to him. To implement this plan, he engaged the Security Director of PJSC Poltava Mining and Processing Plant, Serhii Rudometkin, who was to meet with lawyer Oleh Horetskyi, known for his close ties with Kniaziev.
The law firm Horetskyi & Partners had been providing legal services to Zhevaho’s companies on a regular basis since 2016, and Rudometkin’s daughter had worked at the firm for the past three years, making him an “insider” in the scheme.
Zhevaho sought to secure a court ruling that would allow him to retain the shares of the Poltava Mining and Processing Plant. The former owners of the plant wanted to reclaim the shares that Zhevaho had purchased back in 2002.
The meeting took place in March 2023 at the lawyer’s office with the participation of Kyrylo Horburov — a friend, notary and partner of Horetskyi. Initially, Zhevaho offered USD 1 million, but he was persuaded to increase the amount to USD 2 million due to the presence of opponents.
The money was transferred in several tranches, but Zhevaho monitored the accuracy of the payments as about USD 100,000 had gone missing. He coordinated an additional payment to “cover the difference” and awaited the result by April. That month, the Supreme Court upheld the cassation appeals and ruled in favor of companies linked to Zhevaho.
Immediately after the transfer of funds, searches were conducted in Kniaziev’s apartment and his judicial office, during which USD 548,000 in marked banknotes was found in the judge’s safe.
Notary Horburov, who acted as an intermediary between Horetskyi and Justice Kniaziev, changed his status from accomplice to cooperating witness. In the documents relating to the controlled transfer of the bribe, he was given the cover name “Kravchenko” and became a key link in the bribery scheme.
Interestingly, during the search, Horetskyi fled the apartment, and investigators later found him in another room, hiding in a closet.
Horetskyi was charged with Article 369(4) and Article 190(4) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The lawyer pleaded guilty. On the basis of a plea agreement, he got a 5-year suspended sentence with a probationary period of three years.
Under the terms of the agreement, the individual is obliged to cooperate with the prosecution and provide incriminating testimony, as well as transfer UAH 21 million to a special account of the United24 Foundation for a joint project of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation — “Army of Drones.”
Funds seized during the investigation in the amount of approximately UAH 29 million were also transferred to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, USD 350,000 is being recovered under the procedure of special confiscation.
