Key facts
- Several Ukrainian media outlets published an investigative report on July 17, defying a court ban.
- The report alleges Oleksandr Sukhachov, brother of State Investigation Bureau head Oleksiy Sukhachov, purchased 143 apartments at significantly below market value.
- The construction of the apartment buildings involved has been under investigation by the State Investigation Bureau.
- A court had previously banned the Anti-Corruption Action Center, Slidstvo.info, and journalist Alina Stryzhak from publishing the report.
- Journalist Maksym Savchuk, a co-author, stated the ban did not apply to him and shared the report with other outlets.
- The State Investigation Bureau denied wrongdoing and stated family ties do not influence investigations.
Several Ukrainian media outlets defied a court ban on July 17 to publish an investigative report detailing allegations of a conflict of interest involving Oleksiy Sukhachov, the head of the State Investigation Bureau.
The report, co-authored by Maksym Savchuk of Slidstvo.info, claims that Oleksandr Sukhachov, Oleksiy Sukhachov's brother and a businessman, acquired 143 apartments between 2018 and 2020 at prices significantly below their market value. Some apartments were reportedly purchased for as little as Hr 24,600 (approximately $932 at the 2018 exchange rate).
The construction of the apartment buildings where these purchases occurred has been under investigation by the State Investigation Bureau itself, raising concerns about potential impropriety. The bureau has denied accusations of wrongdoing, stating that family ties alone do not provide grounds to conclude they influenced any investigation.
A court order, issued by Judge Serhiy Vovk of Kyiv's Pechersk District Court at the request of Parkovy-2, a company involved in the sales, had previously banned the Anti-Corruption Action Center, Slidstvo.info, and journalist Alina Stryzhak from publishing the findings. However, Savchuk asserted that the order did not apply to him and proceeded to share the investigation with other media outlets.
Consequently, numerous media organizations, including Dzerkalo Tyzhnia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Ukrainska Pravda, and Hromadske, published the report. The investigation also noted that company seals belonging to Oleksandr Sukhachov were found at Stroy City offices in 2021, and the case, initially investigated by police, was transferred to and from the State Investigation Bureau before being closed and reopened multiple times without charges being filed.
Olena Shcherban, deputy executive director at the Anti-Corruption Action Center, criticized the court ruling as unlawful and a violation of journalists' fundamental rights. Judge Vovk himself has faced numerous controversies and accusations of ethical breaches, which he denies. Oleksiy Sukhachov has also been a controversial figure, with the State Investigation Bureau facing accusations of being a political tool since its creation.