Position: Judge of the Western Commercial Court of Appeal.
Area of Corrupt Activity: Judiciary.
Region of Corrupt Activity: Lviv.
Legal Qualification: The actions are classified under Article 368-5 and Part 1 of Article 366-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Status: At liberty.
Case Details: In late April 2026, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) exposed Oleh Matushchak, a judge of the Western Commercial Court of Appeal, on suspicion of illicit enrichment amounting to UAH 16.7 million and filing inaccurate asset declarations.
According to NABU and SAPO, between 2020 and 2023, the appellate commercial court judge acquired luxury real estate in the city of Lviv — an apartment and a parking space with a combined value of UAH 16.7 million. To conceal his assets, the judge registered these properties in his mother-in-law’s name.
“The investigation established that the judge’s official income and savings would not have been sufficient to make such a purchase. In addition, in his 2022–2023 declarations, the judge ‘forgot’ to disclose that he was using a rented apartment,” SAPO said in its statement.
The judge was notified of suspicion of illicit enrichment and filing inaccurate information in an asset declaration (Article 368-5 and Part 1 of Article 366-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). NABU and SAPO did not disclose further details about the judge or the region in which the court where he works is located. According to the Anti-Corruption Action Center, the judge who received the suspicion notice was Oleh Matushchak of the Western Commercial Court of Appeal.
Oleh Matushchak’s wife, Olha Mykhaliuk, worked as a judge at the Liubashivka District Court in Odesa Region.
Later, Oleh Matushchak, a judge of the Western Commercial Court of Appeal, entered into a plea agreement in the criminal proceedings concerning illicit enrichment and inaccurate asset declarations.
In late July 2026, it became known that the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) had refused to approve the plea agreement concluded with Oleh Matushchak, a judge of the Western Commercial Court of Appeal suspected of illicit enrichment and filing inaccurate asset declarations.
Judge Oleh Matushchak had entered into a plea agreement with the prosecutor. He undertook to ensure that UAH 12 million would be transferred to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine within three months. However, the judge later said that he would be unable to arrange the transfer because a third party had refused to provide the funds.
“The Court refuses to approve the plea agreement dated June 11, 2026, concluded between the prosecutor of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the suspect (Matushchak), with the participation of defense counsel and approved by the Deputy Prosecutor General — Head of SAPO, and orders that the pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings continue under the ordinary procedure,” the HACC ruling states.
Individuals Potentially Involved in Corruption Schemes: Open sources contain no information about possible accomplices.
Assets: In his 2025 asset declaration, Oleh Matushchak reported a salary of UAH 2.6 million from the Western Commercial Court of Appeal and more than UAH 10,000 in social benefits received by his wife, Olha Mykhaliuk.
Oleh Matushchak keeps USD 25,000 and UAH 180,000 in cash, while his wife keeps another USD 15,000 in cash.
The judge owns an apartment and a plot of land in Khmelnytskyi, as well as another plot of land in Khmelnytskyi Region. He also declared a rented apartment in Lviv. Oleh Matushchak drives a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 SUV, while his wife drives a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC 250.
Authorities Responsible for Responding: Law enforcement agencies responded to the alleged criminal activity involving Matushchak in a timely manner by serving him with a notice of suspicion.
Scandals: As early as 2021, disciplinary proceedings were opened against Matushchak over indications of serious violations of procedural law in the administration of justice. In addition, in 2024, a media scandal erupted over a ruling by a panel of judges chaired by him that allowed property worth more than UAH 3 million in Ternopil to be taken from its lawful owner.
Sources:
https://public.nazk.gov.ua/documents/e5d35037-dd4f-4895-a7a6-1747da84743a