On April 7, 2026, the HACC found Oleksandr Kovalenko, judge and former head of the Economic Court of Sumy Region, guilty under Article 368(4) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
He was sentenced to 8.5 years' imprisonment with full asset confiscation and a 3-year ban from holding judicial office. The court kept the existing bail and related obligations in place pending the verdict's entry into force.
According to the prosecution, Kovalenko solicited a bribe in exchange for a ruling favorable to a construction company. He first agreed to issue the decision in return for a two-bedroom apartment in a new development, then shifted his demand to $26,600 in cash from Sumbud. The intended intermediary was lawyer and insolvency receiver Oleksandr Maliovanyi, who was to sell the apartment and hand over the proceeds. The money was delivered to Maliovanyi by attorney Pavlo Putii, who participated in a joint NABU–SSU sting operation.
During closing arguments, the prosecution stated that Kovalenko had decided to formalize property rights over the apartment and notified Maliovanyi accordingly, who in turn relayed the request to a Sumbud representative. Prosecutors argued the documents for the transaction had been prepared, and the deal fell through only because Kovalenko's relative — in whose name the property was to be registered — unexpectedly left the country.
The defense sought acquittal, arguing that no criminal event had occurred and that guilt had not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Counsel also cited multiple procedural violations, including alleged irregularities in how the investigation was opened and certain investigative actions conducted.
The defense further alleged entrapment, claiming no illicit arrangement between the judge and the construction company had ever existed and that the money simply belonged to Kovalenko. The defendant explained that his relative living in Italy had asked him to help purchase an apartment in a new development, prompting him to approach the developer. Kovalenko also alleged attempts to pressure the court — claiming that an SSU officer, and later the head of the Sumy Regional State Administration, had asked him to rule in favor of Sumbud and Service LLC.
In his final statement, Kovalenko said he had cooperated fully with the court and investigation throughout, never gone into hiding or disrupted hearings, and had voluntarily stepped down as court chair to ensure the proceedings' impartiality. He maintained that he had always upheld judicial ethics and had recused himself from all cases involving Sumbud to avoid any perceived conflict of interest.
