The NABU and the SAPO accuse the director of Solomianska Varta NGO, Viktor Dorofeiev, and lawyer Andrii Kychenok of inciting the convicted Mykola Ilyashenko to give a bribe for the closure of the criminal proceedings concerning the suspicion against former Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mykola Zlochevskyi.

The NABU was investigating an episode concerning the embezzlement of the stabilization loan issued to Real Bank, owned by oligarch Serhii Kurchenko, and the subsequent money laundering. Mykola Zlochevskyi was among the many individuals in this case.

In 2020, he tried to “hush up the case” by drawing into his criminal plan the first deputy head of the State Tax Service in Kyiv, Mykola Iliashenko; one of the managers of the Burisma company, Andrii Kicha; and the former head of a department of the State Fiscal Service, Olena Mazurova. With their assistance, Zlochevskyi wanted to transfer a $5 million bribe to the then heads of NABU and SAPO — Sytnyk and Kholodnytskyi.

According to the investigation, the head of Solomianska Varta NGO, Viktor Dorofeiev; the head of Environmental Protection and Control NGO, Viktor Serhiichuk; and lawyer Andrii Kychenok approached Mykola Iliashenko, who was later charged in the case concerning the attempted bribery of the leadership of the SAPO and the NABU to close the proceedings against Zlochevskyi.

The individuals in the case wanted to persuade Iliashenko to hand over funds to HACC judges and SAPO prosecutors, supposedly in exchange for concluding a plea agreement that would give Zlochevskyi a lenient sentence — namely, a term of imprisonment.

Kychenok and Dorofeiev incited Iliashenko to provide an unlawful benefit of $1.8 million. At the end of August 2021, the individuals in the case reported that $500,000 had supposedly been stolen and that, therefore, to achieve the desired result, an equivalent sum had to be provided again.

At this stage, Dorofeiev entered into a criminal conspiracy with Kychenok to seize the money by deception. Kychenok met with Iliashenko near the HACC Appeals Chamber, effectively playing the role of an assistant to the deputy chair of the court. He confirmed the need to hand over the funds for a favorable resolution of the matter. To be convincing, he showed a document resembling a draft court ruling on severing the case concerning Zlochevskyi into separate proceedings, stating that it would be officially issued only after the money was handed over.

This performance worked — Dorofeiev did receive the agreed sum in several tranches. But even after that, Kychenok tried to obtain an additional $200,000, arranging a meeting at a gas station. This time, however, Iliashenko refused to pay, noting that he had already handed over all the funds earlier.

The individuals in the case were caught red-handed immediately after receiving part of the money.The actions of Kychenok and Dorofeiev were classified under Article 369(3) and Article 190(4) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The trial of Kychenok and Dorofeiev is ongoing.

Viktor Serhiichuk, for his part, entered into a plea agreement. However, the verdict is classified, so its details are not currently known.