On January 15, 2025, the HACC released former Kyiv Chief Architect Serhii Tselovalnyk and Ukrbud Development CEO Oleh Maiboroda from criminal liability due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
If Maiboroda is found guilty in other cases involving him, the court noted that the prosecutor could request a review of this case based on newly discovered circumstances.
According to the prosecutor, the statute of limitations in this case was interrupted due to other criminal proceedings involving Maiboroda. The defense argued that, since there were no convictions in these cases, the statute of limitations was not interrupted, and 10 years had already elapsed since November 2014, when the alleged crimes were committed.
The first court hearing took place in November 2020, six years after the pre-trial investigation began. In 2022, the court fined Maiboroda for ignoring court sessions but declined to place him on the wanted list or halt the proceedings against him. In this case, the statute of limitations would have been suspended.
In March 2023, one of the judges handling the case went on long-term leave, prompting the new panel to restart the case at the defense's motion.
In our latest monitoring report, we emphasized the urgent need to improve the concept of the statute of limitations. The Parliament should broaden the grounds for suspending the statute of limitations and revise the point at which they expire. Otherwise, other high-profile cases could be at risk of dismissal in the future.
What is the case about?
According to investigators, the Kyiv City Council leased land in the city center to a private company in 2002 for the construction of a residential building with a swimming pool for secondary school No. 130. In 2008, construction halted due to a lack of funds, and the developer took over the project. However, with the approval of Tselovalnyk from the KCSA, a multi-level parking place was built on the site designated for the pool, allowing Ukrbud to generate illegal profits.