On June 18, 2025, the HACC found Mykhailo Holovko, former head of the Ternopil Regional Council, guilty of bribery and illegal possession of ammunition.

According to the charges, from early March 2023 through June 6, 2023, former Ternopil Regional Council head Mykhailo Holovko solicited a bribe from the founder of a contractor company and ultimately received it. The amount at issue was UAH 612,000.

The bribe amount equaled 10% of the funds transferred from the budget to AVAKS PROF LLC in exchange for including a construction project on the list of projects eligible for financing from the remaining unused state subvention funds from prior years, and the director of the municipal enterprise Ternopilkomuninvest signing acceptance certificates and the customer enterprise subsequently paying the outstanding debt owed to the contractor, AVAKS PROF LLC.

Holovko received the bribe and was then detained by NABU in the act. However, the defense maintains that, given his powers and official duties, Holovko could not and had no ability to carry out the actions attributed to him in the indictment.

In addition, in Mykhailo Holovko’s office, investigators found 20 rounds of 1943-pattern ammunition, one rifle cartridge with an incendiary bullet, a unitary high-explosive fragmentation incendiary artillery round, and a unitary grenade launcher round with a grenade.

The defense argued that all evidence obtained in the period from June 26, 2023, to October 16, 2023 under Article 263(1) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine is inadmissible.

Holovko claimed that the ammunition found in his office were souvenirs given as gifts by service members who visited his office. He also stated that he holds a permit to carry and store 7.62 mm caliber weapons.

Holovko’s actions were classified under Article 368(4) and Article 263(1) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The HACC sentenced him to 9 years’ imprisonment with confiscation of all property, and barred him from holding positions in state authorities and local self-government bodies, except elected positions, for 3 years.

Defense counsel filed an appeal of the judgment, which is currently pending before the HACC Appeals Chamber.