Sham rental deal worth 613,000 hryvnia for Vitaliy Barvynenko

The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine (HACC) found former People's Deputy Vitaliy Barvynenko guilty of illegally obtaining 613,000 hryvnia in compensation for housing rental in Kyiv. However, despite the guilty verdict, the politician avoided actual punishment, getting off with monetary payments.

What did the court decide?

Barvynenko was sentenced to three years in prison, a fine of 17,000 hryvnia, and banned from holding public office for one year. However, the court released him from serving the actual sentence.

2.5 million for the AFU instead of prison

As "compensation" for his actions, the former MP agreed to transfer 1.5 million hryvnia to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine via the United24 platform. A further 1 million hryvnia will be seized from his bail.

Political career and scandals

Barvynenko was a People's Deputy from 2007 to 2019 and was remembered for voting for "dictatorial laws" during the Yanukovych era. Currently, he heads the Odesa District Council and is linked to the party of Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov.