The High Anti-Corruption Court sentenced a former member of the Volyn Regional Council to 3.5 years in prison

The High Anti-Corruption Court has sentenced a former Volyn Oblast deputy to 3.5 years in prison. The former official was found guilty of promising, in exchange for money, to facilitate the purchase of a plot of land for the establishment of a waste disposal company.

This was reported by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine.

According to EP, the case involves Valentyn Koshelnyk, a former deputy from the “For the Future” party.

In 2023, it was reported that NABU detectives had caught a member of the Volyn Regional Council accepting an illegal benefit in the amount of $35,000. Between April and May 2023, the deputy received $10,000 as a “down payment.”

The panel of judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court announced the verdict: a sentence of 3 years and 6 months of imprisonment, with a three-year ban on holding positions in state and local government bodies.

"The investigation established that the deputy, in exchange for monetary compensation, promised to 'facilitate' a citizen’s acquisition of a land plot located within one of the territorial communities of Volyn Oblast for the purpose of establishing a waste disposal enterprise on the site," the statement reads.

After hearing the arguments of the parties, the court found the former regional council deputy guilty of receiving an unlawful benefit for influencing the decision-making of a person authorized to perform local self-government functions.

Until the verdict becomes final, the court ruled to apply a preventive measure in the form of detention to the former deputy and to immediately take him into custody, the NABU adds.

The High Anti-Corruption Court’s verdict may be appealed within 30 days of its announcement.