At the April 7, 2026 hearing, the HACC attempted to question a key figure in the Ukravtodor corruption case — former agency head Sławomir Nowak, who holds witness status in the Ukrainian proceedings. Since Nowak is in Poland, his examination was to be conducted via mutual legal assistance mechanisms. However, prolonged procedural disputes, unresolved questions around the service of a rights notice, and poor interpretation quality prevented the examination from getting off the ground.
The hearing opened with a discussion of parties' readiness. A sharp exchange broke out between the presiding judge and defense counsel for defendant Oleksandr Tislenko over whether the defense considered Nowak its own witness, given that the motion to call him had originally been filed by the prosecution. The defense was unable to settle on the examination format — initially wanting Nowak's free narrative — and only after a recess confirmed it sought cross-examination. A further delay arose from the time difference between Ukraine and Poland, prompting another adjournment.
About an hour in, once the video link to the Polish side was established, Nowak confirmed his identity but claimed he had never received the Ukrainian notice of rights and obligations. The Polish judge disputed this, stating the document had been served in October 2024.
Nowak also alleged his rights had been restricted at the time of his arrest; the HACC judge disagreed and noted that complaints against investigative authorities must be raised through separate channels.
The process was further hampered by interpretation issues: the interpreter engaged by HACC delivered incomplete and inaccurate translations and was present only via video link rather than in the courtroom. It emerged that the Polish side had proposed an additional interpreter, but one was not arranged for reasons unknown.
Ultimately, after reviewing the documents, Nowak — a witness in the Ukrainian case and a defendant in Poland — signed the rights notice and confirmed his readiness to testify. However, the hearing had been scheduled only until 1:00 PM, and Judge Kryklyvyi adjourned the examination for lack of time. The court asked the Polish side to provide an additional interpreter to prevent technical errors going forward. Nowak's examination has been rescheduled for April 17.
The case concerns a cross-border corruption scheme running from 2017 to 2019. According to the NABU and the SAPO, Nowak received bribes from contractor companies while serving as acting head of Ukravtodor. The central episode involves alleged bribery by Altcom owner Oleksandr Tislenko, who investigators say paid Nowak a recurring "retainer" for favorable treatment — including avoiding €9 million in penalties and securing contract extensions financed by international loans. Payments were made through an intermediary in Poland using code words; total bribes exceeded $600,000. Tislenko is currently on trial in Ukraine; Nowak's case is being handled by Polish judicial authorities.
