HACC finds Trubitsyn's accomplice guilty
The HACC approved the plea agreement of Dmytro Kovalchuk, deputy director of Kyiv Heritage Municipal Enterprise, for complicity in accepting a UAH 1.39 million bribe for placing retail outlets in Kyiv.
Kovalchuk pleaded guilty and committed to transferring UAH 1.3 million to the Armed Forces of Ukraine within a year. He also committed to cooperating with prosecutors during the trial and providing truthful incriminating testimony about the crime. Kovalchuk's sincere remorse and active cooperation with law enforcement in exposing others involved in the crime were considered mitigating factors in his punishment.
The court sentenced him to six years in prison, along with a three-year ban on holding positions in state power and local self-government. The court also ordered the confiscation of two land plots owned by Kovalchuk in the Boryspil District of the Kyiv region. At the same time, the HACC released the accused on a one-year probationary period.
This is nearly the first verdict of the HACC under the plea agreement in accordance with the new rules, which provide not only a suspended sentence but also actual confiscation. However, its implementation still needs to be monitored, as there are serious problems in this area.
In addition, under the terms of the plea agreement, UAH 893,160 of Kovalchuk's bail was allocated to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The trial against other defendants, including Vladyslav Trubitsyn, is ongoing.
In February 2022, NABU detectives exposed Vladyslav Trubitsyn, a deputy of the Kyiv City Council. He, in collusion with close associates and municipal enterprise officials, is believed to have organized a scheme to extort money in exchange for permits to install small architectural structures (shopping pavilions) in Kyiv.
It should be noted that on May 13, 2023, he left for Poland with the permission of the head of the State Border Service, Serhii Deineka, based on a letter from the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov. On July 13, 2023, NABU placed him on the wanted list.