Case description
On October 17, 2022, the HACC found Viktor Hriekov and Tetiana Volkova, former officials of the Kiliya District State Administration of the Odesa region, guilty of receiving a USD 2,300 bribe for processing documents for the lease of a land plot.
Viktor Hriekov became the head of the Kiliya District State Administration in August 2015. Volkova held the position of chief specialist of the agro-industrial development department. In early 2017, they conspired to take a bribe from an entrepreneur.
In March 2017, Volkova, as an intermediary, told the businessman's representative that he had to provide USD 2,000 for the approval of documents for a land plot. Allegedly, this demand was put forward by the head of the district state administration, Hriekov. On the same day, Volkova received the first tranche of USD 1,000.
Two months later, when the entrepreneur was supposed to receive the documents, Volkova reminded him of the remaining amount and added that she personally needed another USD 300 for mediation. When she received the second tranche, she was detained in the office while receiving the money.
Hriekov claimed that all the events around the Kiliya District State Administration looked like a political put-up job, and that he was not involved in bribery.
The court classified the actions of Hriekov and Volkova (as accomplices) under Article 368, part 4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The former officials were sentenced to 8 years in prison with confiscation of property and a 3-year ban on holding certain positions.
Both the appellate instance and the cassation court upheld the verdict of the first instance court.
