On November 14, 2024, the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court (SAC) found MP Andriy Odarchenko guilty of attempting to bribe the former head of the State Agency for Reconstruction, Mustafa Nayem. Judge Viktor Nogachevsky sentenced the MP to 8 years in prison.
According to the indictment, Odarchenko offered Nayem a bribe in bitcoins in the amount equivalent to $50,000 in August 2023. The MP wanted to secure funding for the renovation of the buildings of the university, where he was the rector, from the Fund for the Elimination of the Consequences of Aggression. This was the first case of an attempted bribery using cryptocurrency in Ukraine.
Odarchenko's lawyers claimed that he committed the crime allegedly due to provocation from Nayem, who, according to them, cooperates with law enforcement officers. The defense stated that Nayem incited the MP, claiming that money would not be allocated without a bribe. Odarchenko admitted that he offered a bribe, but emphasized his vulnerability under pressure. However, the prosecutor noted that Odarchenko only announced the provocation after he left abroad. The prosecution submitted recordings of the conversations, which, according to the prosecutors, show no signs of coercion or provocation.
Odarchenko appeared in court remotely, claiming that he left Ukraine due to a threat to his life and health. The court, rejecting the defense's arguments, found him guilty and sentenced him to 8 years in prison, which is less than the prosecution demanded.
