Position: lawyer, former deputy head of the National Police Headquarters in Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad regions.
Sphere of corrupt activity: law enforcement.
Region of corruption activity: Dnipropetrovsk region, Kirovohrad region.
Qualification: actions are qualified under Art. 368-5, Part 3 of Art. 27 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, Part 3 of Art. 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, Part 2 of Art. 28 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, Part 4 of Art. 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal enrichment, organization of forgery of official documents and their use).
Status: The issue of choosing a preventive measure for the defendant is being resolved.
Case story: On June 10, 2025, the Prosecutor General's Office, together with the State Bureau of Investigation, reported suspicion of illegal enrichment of tens of millions of hryvnias to a lawyer and former deputy head of the National Police Headquarters in Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad regions. During his work as a civil servant, he acquired 21 apartments, 16 of which were in the center of Lviv, the press services of the State Bureau of Investigation and the Prosecutor General's Office reported.
According to the investigation, the former law enforcement officer acquired unjustified assets for a total amount of over UAH 33 million during his tenure in office in 2019-2023. Law enforcement officers did not specify the name of the person involved, but the media, citing their own sources, reported that it was Serhiy Bukhinnyk.
During his service, he became the owner of assets worth over UAH 33 million, including 16 apartments in the center of Lviv, 2 apartments and two parking spaces in a new building in Dnipro, as well as two cars. He registered all the assets in the names of his close relatives - his wife, mother, mother-in-law and other relatives.
Law enforcement officials reported that in order to legalize the property, the perpetrator devised a scheme using a number of fake loan agreements. According to them, the borrowers were allegedly his close relatives, and the lenders were individuals controlled by the lawyer without proper official income.
During the searches, law enforcement officers found valuables and expensive watches on the defendant. The former law enforcement officer was informed of suspicions under Art. 368-5, Part 3 of Art. 27 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, Part 3 of Art. 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, Part 2 of Art. 28 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, Part 4 of Art. 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal enrichment, organization of forgery of official documents and their use). In addition, suspicions were reported to five accomplices of the former owner who facilitated his violations. The issue of choosing a preventive measure for the defendant is currently being resolved.
Persons potentially involved in corruption schemes: two members of the Bukhinnyk family were reported on suspicion of aiding and abetting (Part 5 of Article 27 of Article 368-5), and three lenders - for forgery and use of documents (Part 3 of Article 358, Part 2 of Article 28, Part 4 of Article 358).
Assets: In his 2023 tax return, Bukhinnyk indicated that he owns an apartment in Dnipro and also has the right to reside in a residential building in the same city. His wife, Natalia, also owns an apartment and a plot of land.
Bukhinnyk's income for the same year was UAH 527,783, and his wife's - UAH 2,921,593. The former official declared UAH 750,000 in cash, while his wife declared UAH 1,500,000.
Persons who should have reacted: law enforcement agencies responded in a timely manner to the criminal activities of Bukhinnyk and his accomplices, filing a complaint.
Scandals: Before the corruption scheme, he was not seen as a figure in other scandals.
Sources:
https://www.rbc.ua/rus/news/pridbav-16-nepoyasnenih-kvartir-advokata-1749562789.html
https://public.nazk.gov.ua/documents/3ce92047-46da-4df0-b314-73033103d18d