On November 3, 2025, the judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court continued examining evidence in the so-called “DACK tapes” case. The prosecutor presented new recordings captured by detectives in February–March 2019 during covert investigative actions. According to the prosecution, the tapes reveal how the head of the now-liquidated District Administrative Court of Kyiv Pavlo Vovk and his colleagues interfered in the work of judicial bodies and members of the High Qualification Commission of Judges.
On the recordings, DACK judge Bohdan Sanin is allegedly heard informing Vovk about signing a draft lawsuit and discussing grounds for filing claims against HQCJ members nicknamed “the Bearded One” (Taras Lukash) and “the Tall One” (Andrii Kozlov) over issues with their attorney certificates.
In other conversations, Vovk allegedly speaks with former State Judicial Administration head Zenovii Kholodniuk. They discuss the appointment of a new chief. In the presence of another defendant, judge Ihor Pohrebnichenko, Vovk asks: “Did you ask him straight up? Is the head’s issue gonna be handled soon?” According to investigators, Kholodniuk was supposedly arranging to derail the competition for a new head of the State Judicial Administration so he could keep the position for himself.
Another recorded talk features Pavlo Vovk, DACK judges Ihor Kachur and Arina Litvinova, and Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal (SACA) judge Volodymyr Kuzmenko. Vovk suggests to Kuzmenko: “Look, you know her case… maybe you should just step back, take a recusal.”
Later, Litvinova asks what will happen to the disciplinary cases against judges Vasylenko, Shkurko, Fedorchuk, and others. Vovk replies that SACA judge Vasylenko had “sorted things out with everyone,” though then–High Council of Justice member Miroshnichenko was pushing for disciplinary action. However, Vovk says they didn’t have enough votes because former HCJ member Hrechkivskyi wasn’t present — “but now he’s back, and he’ll vote the right way.” Vovk adds that through Hrechkivskyi, he managed to make sure the SACA judges wouldn’t be disciplined, though judge Andrii Fedorchuk from DACK “might still get messed with.”
In other clips, Vovk and another DACK judge, Ablov, allegedly discuss the return of a lawsuit filed by lawyer Rostyslav Kravets and the possibility of refiling it to change jurisdiction. Vovk proposes filing a complaint to the Commissioner and adds: “We gotta finish ‘em off while we can.” “We’ll take down the second spot too — but first we gotta strip Kozlov of his powers.”
These recordings suggest that the defendants may have coordinated efforts to influence disciplinary bodies and court proceedings, negotiating with HCJ members, shielding “their own” judges from liability, changing case jurisdictions, and sidelining certain officials.
One more call captures Vovk speaking with Antonina Slavytska, an MP from the pro-Russian party Opposition Platform — For Life. They discuss the upcoming competition for vacant HQCJ posts. Vovk asks whether the Ombudsperson Liudmyla Denisova ran the contest “our way.” He adds it would be good to “push Ostapets through [referring to a preferred candidate] if there’s a chance.”
Another recording shows the defendants discussing the media outlet Law and Business, which they claim belongs to Andrii Portnov. They agree to use it for publishing stories about their lawsuits. According to the prosecutor, such actions amount to pressure on HQCJ members and obstruction of their lawful duties.
As reported earlier, the NABU and the SAPO have accused the former head of the now-dissolved DACK, Pavlo Vovk, and several others of creating a criminal organization allegedly aimed at seizing control over the judiciary.