SBU provides details of detention of Odesa politician from Klitschko's party

Ukrainian security services reported the detention of the head of one of the regional branches of the Udar party. He demanded $1 million from a private entrepreneur.

According to the SBU, the detainee positioned himself as a lawyer and party representative. He promised the businessman that through his connections in the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA) he would resolve the issue of leasing a 16.4-hectare land plot on the Dnipro embankment. This territory was previously designated as a park area by Kyiv City Council members, which excludes the possibility of leasing or selling it.

The entrepreneur repeatedly tried to obtain permission to lease the land through official channels, but faced bureaucratic obstacles. Then he was approached by a politician who offered to help in exchange for a bribe.

Law enforcement officers detained the suspect while he was handing over the first tranche of the bribe - $900,000. He has already been served a notice of suspicion of fraud on an especially large scale (Part 2 of Article 15, Part 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). According to the law, the man faces up to 12 years in prison.

The Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office filed a motion to impose a pre-trial restraint in the form of detention with the possibility of bail in the amount of UAH 38 million.

Law enforcement officials have not disclosed the name of the detained politician.

However, the Central Executive Committee of the UDAR party reported that it was the head of the party's branch in Odesa region, Oleksandr Sukhanov. The Kyiv City State Administration emphasized that the detainee had already been expelled from the party, and that all those involved in the crimes should be held accountable.

Recently, an official of the State Enforcement Service of Odesa was accused of extorting money for lifting the arrest of an alimony debtor. The official was served a notice of suspicion.

Meanwhile, the Center for Public Investigations recalled the largest corruption scandals in Odesa region that occurred in 2024. They include the detention of several high-ranking officials, exposure of corruption schemes in law enforcement, judicial and medical spheres, as well as in higher education institutions.

Андрій Колісніченко