Case description
The NABU and SAPO accuse former Defense Ministry official Vasyl Rakul and ex-NABU detective Roman Kovtun of extorting a $1 million bribe. If convicted, the defendants face 8 to 12 years in prison.
According to the case file, in 2021, Vasyl Rakul – then head of the Southern Capital Construction Department at the Ministry of Defense – along with then-NABU detective Roman Kovtun, demanded a $1 million bribe from Oleksandr Horieshnyk, director of the Mazal Invest construction company.
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Their scheme involved recruiting intermediaries who, unaware of their true intentions, could identify potential investors with substantial financial resources. The plan was to persuade Horieshnyk of the investment’s profitability and build a trusting relationship with him.
Over several months, the defendants met with Horieshnyk multiple times in restaurants and offices to discuss the details of the so-called “deal.” During these meetings, they emphasized their alleged influence in government agencies, which they claimed would secure the company’s victory in a tender for the construction of military housing. Initially, they demanded $500,000, but later increased the amount to $1 million.
Throughout the negotiations, the defendants applied pressure on Horieshnyk. Eventually, he interpreted their actions as an outright bribery demand and reported them to law enforcement. Vasyl Rakul and Roman Kovtun have been charged under Article 368, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Proceedings against Rakul were suspended due to his mobilization into the Armed Forces.
