The Verbytsky Case Is on Hold: UA.NEWS Calls on the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Law Enforcement to Intervene in the “Silence” of NABU and the SAP
The editorial staff of the online media outlet UA.NEWS reached out to Serhiy Ionushas, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Law Enforcement, requesting that he take parliamentary action due to the apparent delay in the investigation into the case of illegal enrichment involving former Deputy Prosecutor General Dmytro Verbytskyi.
Journalists emphasize that although criminal case No. 52024000000000231 was opened back in May 2024, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) have not announced any charges after two years of investigation. This raises reasonable doubts about the impartiality of the investigation and the possibility of external influence on law enforcement officials.
The court upheld the NACP’s position
A key factor in the case was the decision of the Kyiv District Administrative Court dated February 25, 2026 (Case No. 320/749/25). The court fully dismissed Verbytskyi’s lawsuit against the NACP, confirming the validity of the agency’s conclusions regarding signs of illicit enrichment. As a reminder, back in July 2024, the NACP officially submitted a substantiated conclusion to the NABU regarding the discrepancy between the prosecutor’s lifestyle and his official income.
A Trail of Luxury
The investigation was prompted by numerous journalistic reports about Verbytsky’s lavish lifestyle. These included:
- The purchase of a house for half a million dollars—six times below market value;
- Luxury Porsche cars, real estate in Turkey, and Birkin bags worth $28,000 among his associates;
- Scandalous “gangster-style” celebrations following his dismissal from the prosecutor’s office.
Demands to Parliament
UA.NEWS calls on the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Law Enforcement to exercise its oversight functions and send parliamentary inquiries to the director of NABU and the head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office regarding the reasons for the delays in the investigation.The publication also requests an investigation into possible inaction by the pre-trial investigation authorities. It is important to ensure parliamentary oversight of compliance with reasonable timeframes in this case, which is critical to building public trust in anti-corruption agencies.
The editorial board continues to exercise ongoing journalistic oversight of the case’s progress and awaits an official response from the relevant Verkhovna Rada committee.
As a reminder, UA.News journalists have linked Verbytskyi to the logistics business at the Pivdennyi Port. There are suspicions that a scheme was in place there: ships carrying cargo were detained under fabricated pretexts, and $100,000 or more was demanded for a “quick resolution of the issue.” Such schemes could have been the actual source of funds for the purchase of the Porsche and the Turkish apartment.
It was recently reported that former Deputy Prosecutor General Dmytro Verbytskyi, who resigned amid scandal following investigations into illicit enrichment, has officially launched his political career. The Odesa regional branch of the “Batkivshchyna” All-Ukrainian Union, in response to a request from UA.News, confirmed that Verbytskyi is already a member of Yulia Tymoshenko’s party.
A dissertation against corruption and renting from a friend: the controversial Dmytro Verbytskyi explains how he is evading mobilization and court proceedings
Instead of facing trial, the controversial former official is now calmly sipping coffee and building a political career, complaining to investigative journalists’ cameras: “I don’t live a lavish life, but I don’t live poorly either.” What’s more, it turns out that his luxurious home in the capital is simply an act of incredible friendly generosity. Commenting on the pittance he pays to rent a house in an elite cottage community, Verbytskyy looks journalists straight in the eye and assures them: “I’m renting it from a friend. Well, this isn’t a perk; these are average market rates for renting houses, uh, in this region. And this has been verified, uh, by NAZK officials.”
While the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NAZK) seem to be trying to find their way to court for the third year in a row, the former law enforcement official has found a foolproof way to dodge mobilization—he’s become a graduate student and is working on his dissertation. The topic of this academic work by a man with millions in unexplained assets is simply mockingly perfect: “anti-corruption legislation.” Asserting that “I’ve been studying my whole life,” the former prosecutor—who is practically a professor already—has already outlined his plans for the future: “I want to continue working at a university and pass on my knowledge.” And there’s certainly plenty to pass on—for example, a unique scheme for officially earning about $2,000 at the prosecutor’s office while receiving “birthday gifts” from relatives.
“Well, they helped out—they gave me gifts for my birthday, and that was my savings… Well, my mother could have given me $5,000,” the future luminary of science declares without a hint of embarrassment.
When the conversation turns to the origin of his family’s wealth, the classic, rock-solid legend of Ukrainian bureaucracy about wealthy relatives comes into play.
“My father was a captain on a long-haul ship. I think you understand how much a long-haul ship captain earns. Well, starting at $10,000 a month,” Verbytsky boasts. But for some reason, he refused to brag about his new Audi SQ8 worth 100 thousand greenbacks on camera, instantly switching to a tone of aggressive defense:
“Look, this car is registered in my name. You can look it up online. If you want, I’ll come to your studio, I’ll give you an interview, I’ll show you the documents. Show me the questions you want to ask. I’ll answer them. I’ll show you the documents. Conduct the interview objectively. I don’t like provocations like the one you’re pulling right now.” Verbytskyi now plans to scale up all this “anti-corruption” success in the world of big-time politics—he has taken the helm of the district branch of Yulia Tymoshenko’s party. However, even here the logic has gone out the window, because, in the words of the newly minted party member himself: “As of today, whether to go into politics or not—I’m not yet, let’s say, fully ready to go into politics. I am currently a party member and serve as the head of the branch in the Khadzhibeyevsky District. No, I do not sponsor the party.”
Under what exact conditions “Batkivshchyna” took in such a toxic figure remains an open question. For now, Dmytro Anatoliyovych feels so confident and immune from consequences that, instead of sitting in the dock, he’s attacking law enforcement officials himself: “I am currently in a legal battle with the NACP, since the NACP clearly stated in a publication that they found evidence of illicit enrichment on my part, that they identified the elements of a crime, and that all of this was acquired on my instructions.”
The former prosecutor actively flaunts his legal battles on Facebook, personally racking up hundreds of reposts under his own posts to create the illusion of support. However, the public does not find this amusing at all, because behind the facade of these absurd justifications and partisan manipulations, a sad reality is clearly evident: the Verbytsky case may simply be deliberately and artificially stalled behind the scenes by anti-corruption agencies.
Additionally, UA.NEWS received a response from the State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine to its inquiry to the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NAZK) regarding the application of enhanced financial monitoring to former Deputy Prosecutor General Dmytro Verbytskyi as a “politically exposed person” (PEP).
Incidentally, former top SBU official Artem Shil and former Deputy Prosecutor General Dmytro Verbytskyi have been linked to influence-peddling schemes featured in the so-called “Mindich tapes.” This is stated in a post by politician Boryslav Bereza, published amid renewed discussions of the recordings, which mention the names of officials and businesspeople and include discussions of personnel decisions within government agencies.
