Case description
On February 14, 2023, the HACC found Serhii Oleksiienko, who was an accomplice of Viktor Sivets, the so-called “Yanukovych's forester,” and his wife, guilty of receiving and further laundering more than EUR 10.9 million in bribes. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
According to investigators, Serhii Oleksiienko, the former director of Listrade LLC, ran companies through which Viktor Sivets, the former head of the Yanukovych-era State Forestry Agency, and Maryna Zhuravliova, his wife, laundered their illegally gained funds. In 2011–2014, Sivets demanded bribes from Polish, Slovak, and Romanian companies to extend timber export contracts. Sivets and his wife Zhuravliova received more than EUR 10.9 million in payments for services in analyzing the timber market and searching for counterparties for the purchase of Ukrainian timber. If companies refused to pay, state forestry enterprises could stop shipping timber, effectively disrupting the companies’ operations. These payments, made under the guise of legitimate services, were laundered via financial transactions and transferred to various accounts.
The funds were paid to the accounts of companies, including the one run by Oleksiienko. The money was then legalized through Sivets's offshore companies under the guise of legitimate transactions. Part of the money was found in the Swiss accounts of Sivets's wife, and the HACC imposed special forfeiture on them.
Oleksiienko did not admit guilt. He claimed he was unaware of the foreign firm’s operations and fully trusted Sivets. He stated he had no knowledge of who registered the firm, how much money was received, or how it was used.
His defense argued that the indictment lacked specificity, as it failed to detail Oleksiienko’s concrete actions, his role, or identify time, place, or accomplices. The defense also contested the admissibility of evidence obtained through international legal assistance, claiming that such evidence could only be used in the specific proceeding for which it was collected.
Another defense attorney noted that the prosecution's documents did not prove Oleksiienko opened bank accounts or held power of attorney for the companies involved.
Now Sivets and his wife Zhuravliova, a Russian citizen, are hiding in Russia. Ukraine's extradition request for the “Yanukovych's forester” was denied. They are still under investigation in absentia.
The actions of their accomplice Oleksiienko were classified under Article 27(5), Article 368(4), and Article 209(3) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. He was sent to prison for 10 years with confiscation of all his property and a ban on holding certain positions for 3 years.
The HACC Appeals Chamber upheld Oleksiienko's sentence.
