The agreement between the investigators and Serhiy Pashynsky, the former acting head of the Presidential Administration, was made possible by his willingness to provide incriminating testimony against other individuals involved in the case. Vitaliy Shabunin, chairman of the board of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, noted that Pashynsky did not simply buy his way out of prison, but rather paved the way for a more in-depth investigation into corruption offenses.
Pashynsky pleaded guilty in the case involving the embezzlement of 800 million hryvnias. Under the terms of the agreement, he committed to returning 600 million hryvnias to the state and paying 500 million hryvnias to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine, specifically to the “Come Back Alive” and Sternenko funds. Another defendant in the case, Serhiy Tyshchenko, will also pay 100 million hryvnias to the state budget.
Thus, the total amount that Pashynsky and his accomplice will return to the state will amount to 1.2 billion hryvnias. Shabunin emphasized that although inflation reduces the value of these funds, the agreement is an important step in the fight against corruption.
Shabunin also noted that the agreement cannot be considered a mere pay-off, since the case involving the embezzlement of “Kurchenko’s petroleum products” comprises nearly 150 volumes, and the statute of limitations expires within the next three years. Pashynsky’s lawyers could have dragged out the process, which would have made it more difficult to hold him accountable.
As a reminder, on September 24, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced the approval of a plea agreement with Pashinsky. In addition to reimbursing the damages, he is barred from holding positions in state or local government bodies for one year. Confiscation of property is not provided for, as the relevant provisions of the Criminal Code were enacted after the crime was committed.
