On November 14, 2024, the High Anti-Corruption Court (HCC) found People's Deputy Andriy Odarchenko guilty of attempting to bribe the ex-head of the State Reconstruction Agency, Mustafa Nayem. Judge Viktor Nogachevsky sentenced the People's Deputy to 8 years of imprisonment.
According to the indictment, in August 2023, Odarchenko offered Nayem a bribe in bitcoins equivalent to $50,000. The People's Deputy wanted to secure financing for the renovation of the buildings of the university, where he was the rector, from the Fund for the Liquidation of the Consequences of Aggression. This was the first case when an attempted bribery with cryptocurrency was recorded in Ukraine.
Odarchenko's lawyers claimed that he committed the crime allegedly due to provocation by Nayem, who, according to them, cooperates with the law enforcement officers. The defense stated that Nayem incited the people's deputy, claiming that the money would not be released without a bribe. Odarchenko admitted that he offered the bribe, but emphasized his vulnerability under pressure. However, the prosecutor noted that Odarchenko announced the provocation only after leaving the country. The prosecution submitted tapes of the conversations, which prosecutors say show no signs of coercion or provocation.
Odarchenko appeared remotely at the court debate, claiming that he left Ukraine because of a threat to his life and health. The court, rejecting the arguments of the defense, found him guilty and sentenced him to 8 years of imprisonment, which is less than what the prosecution demanded.
