Head of Odesa Regional Council pleads not guilty in court

The case on possible concealment of millions of assets by the head of Odesa regional council and his wife was brought to the stage of consideration. The officials denied the charges, while the investigation insisted on discrepancies between the declared income and actual expenses.

This was reported by Suspilne.

On April 22, the High Anti-Corruption Court began consideration of the merits of the case against Hryhoriy Didenko, head of the Odesa Regional Council, and Yulia Didenko, MP.

The couple is suspected of entering false information in declarations worth more than UAH 8 million, but they do not admit their guilt.

The hearing is taking place remotely - the defendants and their lawyers joined via video link. The case was scheduled for consideration after completion of the preparatory stage in accordance with the decision of the High Anti-Corruption Court of April 8, 2026.

According to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, the officials failed to disclose assets worth more than UAH eight million in their declarations for 2021-2023. In addition, prosecutors have filed a civil lawsuit over almost five million hryvnias of assets that, according to the investigation, were acquired without confirmed income.

These include investments in apartments and the purchase of two cars. According to the investigation, in 2021-2024, the couple purchased property worth about UAH 5 million, including two Audi SQ8 cars (2021 and 2024) and cash contributions under contracts for the sale and purchase of property rights. An analysis of income and expenses shows that these assets could not have been acquired legally. Investigators believe that these expenses do not correspond to the declared financial capabilities of the spouses.

If found guilty, they may face a fine, community service, or restriction or imprisonment for up to two years with a ban on holding certain positions.

Anti-corruption authorities submitted to the court an indictment against Hryhoriy Didenko, the head of the Odesa Regional Council, and his wife, Yulia Didenko, who is a member of the IX convocation, in February. They were notified of suspicion in October 2025, and in December, the case file was opened for the defense to review.

At that time, the prosecutor asked to seize the 32.2-square-meter apartment in Kyiv and the MP's 39.9-square-meter non-residential premises in Truskavets, Lviv Oblast, to ensure the lawsuit.

Анна Бальчінос