Position: Deputy of the Volyn Regional Council, "For the Future" political party.
The sphere of corrupt activity: land issues.
Region of corruption activity: Volyn region.
Qualification: Part 3 Art. 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (requesting undue benefit for exercising influence).
It is punishable by a fine from one thousand to four thousand non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens or restriction of liberty for a term of two to five years, or imprisonment for a term of up to two years.
Status: released from pre-trial detention center on bail of 900,000 hryvnias.
The plot of the case: The investigation claims that at the beginning of 2022, the investor told Deputy Koshelnyk about his intention to engage in activities in the field of recycling used car tires.
In March 2023, he announced that he wanted to purchase a plot of land for this purpose in the village of Sukhodoly, Volodymyr District. At the same time, Koshelnyk allegedly asked for 10,000 dollars for his "help" with the land issue.
According to the version of the investigation, the deputy promised to use these funds to influence the mayor Volodymyr Ihor Palyonka - to make the necessary decisions by the city council.
Already in April 2023, Valentyn Koshelnyk told his husband that he had to appear before the head of the Department of Land and Natural Resources of the Department of Urban Planning, Architecture and Communal Resources of the Volodymyr City Council and write the statements necessary for the further acquisition of land.
It was, in particular, about permission to develop a detailed plan of the territory, a land management project and the inclusion of a plot of land with an area of 0.20 ha in the list for sale at land auctions. At the same time, the deputy allegedly assured that everything had already been agreed with the mayor of Volodymyr and at the same time wanted to receive $5,000 as a "deposit". And at the same time, he increased the cost of his further "services" to $30,000.
The investigation established that on 04/15/2023 Valentyn Koshelnyk, while in a Tesla car located on Ustiluzka Street, 91-a in the city of Volodymyr, received a part of the previously stipulated unlawful benefit in the amount of 5,000 USD for influencing the decision-making of a person , authorized to perform the functions of local self-government
After that, the Volodymyr City Council prepared a draft decision on granting the necessary permits for the land. The deputies approved this project at the session on May 19, 2023.
The day after the session, according to the investigation, Koshelnyk called the man and demanded the next $5,000.
He received the funds on May 26, 2023, and on the same day arranged a joint meeting with Igor Palonka and the investor.
During it, the mayor allegedly assured that he and the Volodymyr city council would make all the necessary decisions for the further holding of the auction for the sale of land in the village of Sukhodoly.
On September 7, 2023, the Volodymyr City Council approved a detailed plan of the territory on Nezalezhnosti Street in the village of Sukhodoly, and on September 12, 2023, Valentyn Koshelnyk received the last part of the bribe — $25,000.
“On September 12, 2023, while driving along Kovelska Street in Volodymyr, while in a Volkswagen ID 4 car, Valentyn Koshelnyk received another part of the previously agreed-upon illegal benefit in the amount of USD 25,000, which, according to the official exchange rate of the National Bank of Ukraine, is UAH 914,215,” the court ruling states.
After receiving this money, the deputy was detained by law enforcement officers.
On September 13, 2023, a deputy of the Volyn Regional Council was informed of suspicion of receiving unlawful benefits for influencing a decision by an official, combined with extortion (Part 3 of Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Later, NABU detectives applied to the High Anti-Corruption Court with a request for a preventive measure for Valentyn Koshelnyk. They requested his detention with a possible bail of one million hryvnias. At the same time, the defense side stated an alternative version of events: the deputy did not receive bribes, and his communication was reduced to discussing business issues regarding the initiation of a joint case.
Ultimately, on September 15, 2023, the court chose Valentyn Koshelnyk as a preventive measure in the form of detention and set bail at 900 thousand hryvnias . This bail was later posted for him, and on September 18, 2023, the deputy was released from custody.
On January 17, 2024, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office sent an indictment in the case to the High Anti-Corruption Court.
On January 26, 2024, the court held a preparatory meeting and began considering it.
In May 2026, the High Anti-Corruption Court announced a verdict for former Volyn Regional Council deputy Valentyn Koshelnyk, sentencing him to 3 years and 6 months in prison for abuse of influence. This was reported by the SAPO press service. According to the investigation, the ex-deputy promised to “assist” a citizen in purchasing a land plot in one of the communities of Volyn region for the subsequent creation of a waste disposal enterprise.
The court found him guilty of receiving an unlawful benefit for influencing the decision-making of a person authorized to perform local self-government functions (Part 2 of Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). He was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months of imprisonment with deprivation of the right to hold positions in state and local government bodies for a period of three years. The court decided to take the former deputy into custody before the verdict becomes final. The verdict can be appealed within 30 days.
Persons potentially involved in corruption:
The mayor of Volodymyr is Ihor Palyonka.
After Koshelnyk's detention, information appeared in the media that Mayor Ihor Palyonka was also involved in this. They said that they demanded $35,000 from the entrepreneur for the unhindered allocation of a land plot.
On the morning of September 13, 2023, Ihor Palyonka recorded a video from his office in which he denies his involvement, but does not deny the situation in general.
"09:15, I am at work. The city council is operating as usual.
"A number of procedural actions were ongoing yesterday. There were searches in the city council, the Central Administrative Center, and my wife's house, where I live, during which no illegal gain or enrichment items were found. No items were seized from me either at home or at work. I will do my best to assist the investigation in order to punish those people who want to enrich themselves during the war," said Palyonka.
Wealth: the deputy's official income for 2022 was more than modest: he received 14.9 thousand hryvnias in salary from Oil Group LLC, as well as 49 thousand hryvnias in entrepreneurial income.
At the same time, the deputy kept 400 thousand hryvnias and 20 thousand dollars in cash. His wife Natalia received 2.8 million hryvnias in business income, but she had no savings.
Valentyn Koshelnyk was a co-owner of Service Oil LLC with a contribution to the statutory fund in the amount of 450,000 hryvnias.
Also owned PE "Agency Koshelnyk. Agent of football players" - a contribution of 30 thousand hryvnias, and LLC "Volynsk Industrial Company" - a contribution of one million hryvnias. The deputy was also listed among the beneficial owners of Aurora-Capital LLC, and was also a co-founder of the NGO "Children's Sports Club BRV-VIK" and the NGO SC "Vik-Volyn".
As of 2022, Valentyn Koshelnyk owned almost six acres of land, six trade pavilions and a 226-square-meter store in Volodymyr. In addition, he indicated that he and his brother owned a house of 168 square meters in the village of Horodkivka, Vinnytsia region.
His wife Natalya owned an apartment of 60.5 square meters in Volodymyr.
Officially, most of the family fleet consisted of old cars and also belonged to a member of the regional council. He owned a 1991 Ford Transit, a 2007 Volkswagen Passat, a 2005 Opel Vectra and a 1997 Mercedes-Benz. Natalia's wife owned a 2018 BMW X5 car worth 450,000 hryvnias.
The mass media reported that court rulings indicate that Valentyn Koshelnyk also owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3 car, and he actually lives in a house owned by his mother. However, in his declarations for 2021 and 2022, the deputy did not indicate this property.
Scandals: before the above story, he was not involved in high-profile scandals.
Individuals who should have responded to corruption schemes during his tenure: In the case of Koshelnyk, law enforcement agencies responded in time.
Sources:
A weapons training course has started at the training center of the 100th brigade in Lutsk
The single state register of court decisions is the Resolution
Ihor Palyonka commented on the information about his involvement in a bribe of 35 thousand dollars
Unified state register of declarations