Former Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine prosecutor Volodymyr Derhunov has been convicted on the basis of a plea agreement of extorting a $20,000 improper benefit. In exchange, he had promised to secure a lenient sentence with probation for defendants in a drug trafficking case.

The investigation established that PGO prosecutor Volodymyr Derhunov demanded money from individuals who were suspects in a criminal proceeding involving the unlawful manufacture and sale of narcotics. While serving in the PGO Department for Supervision over Compliance with Laws in Criminal Proceedings, he offered the suspects an arrangement to pay an improper benefit in exchange for securing a minimum sentence.

The case materials documented Derhunov's demand for $20,000. In return, he guaranteed favorable treatment in negotiating a plea agreement that would allow the defendants to receive a lenient sentence — probation rather than actual imprisonment. In October 2018, the prosecutor was caught red-handed near Kyiv's Central Railway Station while accepting an installment of the bribe in the amount of $15,000. The defendant agreed to cooperate with the investigation as a whistleblower in proceedings concerning abuses by State Tax Service officials that resulted in approximately UAH 107 million in lost budget revenue.

The SAPO charged Volodymyr Derhunov with extorting $20,000 from drug trafficking suspects in exchange for a promise to secure suspended sentences. The evidence rested on the demand for money and the prosecutor's apprehension red-handed while accepting $15,000.

At trial, the prosecution endorsed approval of the plea agreement, taking into account Derhunov's acceptance of an actual prison term, his transfer of funds to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and his having become a whistleblower in the case concerning a UAH 107 million corruption scheme in the tax service.

Early in the trial, the defense contested the charges. A significant number of hearings were adjourned at the defense's request due to Derhunov's poor health — specifically, type 1 diabetes and Group 2 disability status.

The defense's strategy later shifted to genuine remorse and a plea agreement. Counsel asked the court to consider as mitigating circumstances the defendant's health condition, his difficult financial situation, and his responsibility for two children with disabilities. A further argument for a more lenient sentence was Derhunov's willingness to assist the justice system as a whistleblower in the criminal proceedings concerning the UAH 107 million tax corruption scheme.

The case was charged under Article 368(3) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

On November 10, 2025, the HACC approved the plea agreement. Volodymyr Derhunov was sentenced to one year's imprisonment with confiscation of a Kia Sportage vehicle and a residential house. He was also banned for three years from holding positions in state authorities and law enforcement bodies. Under the terms of the agreement, the defendant also undertook to transfer UAH 500,000 to the Nation Code 47 charitable foundation — UAH 100,000 immediately and a further UAH 400,000 within four months of approval of the agreement.