Case description
On February 13, 2025, the HACC Appeals Chamber closed the case of former adviser to the Board Chairman at the State Food and Grain Corporation, Anatolii Zavadskyi, who had previously been accused of abuse of office and bribery. He was released from liability due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
According to the investigation, in 2014, Zavadskyi organized a group of officials of PJSC State Food and Grain Corporation who agreed to conclude contracts for the supply of agricultural products for the purpose of personal enrichment. Zavadskyi was supposed to conclude contracts for a bribe at prices below market prices, with a total value of USD 667,000.
The scheme provided that the SFGCU sold grain cheaply, in particular, to one of the international grain traders controlled by the Russian oligarch Fedorychev through a number of private intermediary companies. The benefit had to be transferred to foreign accounts.
As a result of Zavadskyi’s actions, the SFGCU suffered losses in the amount of more than USD 60 million (UAH 1.6 billion). However, the court decided that the losses were proven only in the amount of UAH 45.3 million.
Zavadskyi did not plead guilty and stated that he considers the charges to be unfounded, absurd, and unsubstantiated.
Zavadskyi’s actions were qualified under Article 368(4) and Article 364(2) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison with a fine of UAH 17,000, confiscation of all property, and deprivation of the right to hold certain positions. The court also partially granted the SFGCU’s claims and decided to recover UAH 45.3 million from Zavadskyi in favor of the PJSC.
However, on February 13, 2025, the HACC Appeals Chamber overturned the verdict due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, released Zavadskyi from liability, and closed the proceedings. The moment the crime was considered complete was the date of the last shipment of grain products by SFGCU, namely November 30, 2014. Therefore, by the time the defense filed the motion with the court, more than ten years had passed since that date. The prosecutor did not object to granting the defense's motion and confirmed that the statute of limitations had indeed expired.
Other individuals also appeared in this case. Previously, the HACC approved a plea agreement with Petro Vovchuk, the former head of the State Food and Grain Corporation of Ukraine, who was sentenced to 3 years of probation. In addition, Vitalii Korniienko, the owner of one of the intermediary firms, also concluded an agreement.
