The State Bureau of Investigation and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office have uncovered a large-scale corruption scheme involving representatives of the National Police, the Prosecutor General's Office, and lawyers. The bribe was $150,000, which was demanded from a businessman in exchange for the termination of criminal prosecution and the return of his property.
How the scheme was uncovered
According to the investigation, Oleksandr Maslov, an employee of the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police, promised the owner of a number of companies to resolve his problems with the law for $150,000-180,000. According to him, the money was also to be received by Vyacheslav Potalapa, a senior investigator of the General Investigation Department of the National Police, and Andriy Hrytsan, a prosecutor of the Prosecutor General's Office.
Maslov guaranteed the businessman that he would avoid searches, arrests, and seizure of property. In July 2023, he met with the businessman's brother and outlined the terms of the deal. In March 2024, Maslov contacted the intermediary three times through a lawyer, and in April he received the money and was detained.
Plea agreement and suspended sentence
After his arrest, Maslov pleaded guilty and entered into a plea agreement with the prosecutor's office. In February 2024, the court found him guilty under Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (obtaining unlawful benefit) and sentenced him to three years of probation.
Interestingly, Maslov was returned the UAH 3 million bail paid by Azovcity LLC. In exchange for a lenient sentence, he agreed to provide evidence against Vyacheslav Potalapa and Andriy Hrytsan.
Prosecutor under suspicion, but in office
Despite the corruption scandal, Andriy Hrytsan continues to work in the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office of the Prosecutor General's Office.
According to his declaration for 2024, he received:
- salary in the Prosecutor General's Office - UAH 1.24 million;
- income from the sale of property in April 2024;
- bought a Jeep Renegade (2016) in 2023 for UAH 400,000;
- keeps 100 thousand UAH and $5 thousand in cash.
Hrytsan's declaration does not contain any information about family members, although he uses an apartment in Kyiv owned by a woman with his last name.
Despite the high-profile scandal, the Prosecutor General's Office has not yet commented on Hrytsan's possible dismissal. The case continues to be investigated by NABU and SAPO.
