Position: former head of the Novopskovo District Court of Luhansk Oblast.
Sphere of corruption: judicial.
Region of corruption activity: Luhansk region.
Qualification: Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Status: at large.
Case plot: according to the prosecution, during March-August 2017, Potapenko, with the participation of lawyer Voronkin, demanded and received an undue benefit from the accused in the commission of a criminal offense for not applying a preventive measure in the form of detention and acquittal in a criminal case that was under consideration by this judge.
The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office read out the indictment in the case of the former head of the Novopskov District Court of the Luhansk region, Roman Potapenko, for receiving illegal benefits.
At the meeting, the SAPO prosecutor announced a summary of the indictment. In addition, the state prosecutor, as well as the defense, made an opening speech.
According to the SAPO, the panel of judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court has determined the procedure and scope of the examination of evidence in the case. The next hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on January 14.
According to the investigation, during March-August 2017, Potapenko, with the participation of a lawyer, demanded and received an improper benefit from the accused of committing a criminal offense for not applying a preventive measure in the form of detention and acquittal in a criminal case that was under consideration by this judge.
As is known, on May 25, 2022, the court suspended the hearing of Potapenko's case due to his mobilization. On June 27, 2023, the case was also suspended regarding the second defendant in this case - lawyer Anatoly Voronkin - due to his search. On October 21, 2025, the anti-corruption court received a response that Potapenko was dismissed due to age on January 1, 2024.
In November 2025, the High Anti-Corruption Court resumed hearings of criminal proceedings on charges of Roman Potapenko, the former head of the Novopskov District Court of Luhansk Oblast, in receiving $5,500 in illegal benefits in connection with his dismissal from military service.
To resume the trial against the accused (Potapenko - ed.) for committing a criminal offense under Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code. To schedule a trial in an open court session in the premises of the Higher Criminal Court in criminal proceedings against the accused for committing a criminal offense under Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code, which will take place at 3:00 p.m. on November 18, 2025, 3:00 p.m. on November 25, 2025, and 11:00 a.m. on November 28, 2025
Persons potentially involved in corruption schemes: unknown.
Assets: in the 2027 declaration, Potapenko indicated that he owns a land plot with an area of 1,000 m², a land plot with an area of 1,300 m², and a residential building with an area of 298 m²; his wife, Potapenko Olga Vasylivna, owns land plots with an area of 43,182 m², 10,964 m², and also jointly with Mordovtseva Lyubovya Andriivna owns a residential building with an area of 66.4 m² and a land plot with an area of 1,475 m²; Potapenko's son, Mykhailo Romanovich, jointly with Potapenko Olena Mykolayivna, owns a residential building with an area of 132.8 m² and a land plot with an area of 1,364 m². Potapenko also owns a 2008 Honda CR-V passenger car, the right to it was acquired on May 15, 2012, the cost on the date of acquisition is UAH 105,000.
According to the declaration, in 2017, Potapenko Roman received a salary from the State Administrative Court of Ukraine in the Luhansk region in the amount of UAH 357,235, his wife Olga Potapenko received income from renting property from the Zorya LLC - UAH 6,550, Roman Potapenko received severance pay from the State Administrative Court of Ukraine in the Luhansk region - UAH 86,400, his wife Olga Potapenko received UAH 30,000 in income from independent professional activities, Roman Potapenko received a pension from the Markiv United Department of the Pension Fund of Ukraine in the Luhansk region - UAH 80,120.
In 2017, his wife Olga Potapenko had $18,000 in cash, Roman Potapenko had 20,908 hryvnias placed in bank accounts at PJSC CB "PrivatBank".
Persons who should have reacted: in the case of Potapenko, law enforcement officers reacted in a timely manner, however, he is still at large.
Scandals: There is no information in open sources about other scandals in which Potapenko would appear.
Sources:
https://public.nazk.gov.ua/documents/8f4c8166-b246-4386-bbad-be54b8dbaeff