Position: Deputy Head of the Odessa Regional Prosecutor's Office.
Sphere of corrupt activity: law enforcement.
Region of corruption activity: Odessa region.
Qualification: Rakovich's actions were qualified under Articles 368-5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine "Illegal enrichment" and 366-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine "Declaration of false information".
Status: at large.
Case story: in January 2025, it became known that the HIgh Anti-Corruption Court ordered the SAPO to open criminal proceedings under Articles 368-5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine "Illegal enrichment" and 366-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine "Declaration of false information" against the Deputy Head of the Prosecutor's Office of the Odessa Region Maksym Rakovich and his cohabitant V. Rakovich. We are talking about assets worth a considerable amount - over 52 million UAH.
The case was opened after the appeal to the HIgh Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine by the public anti-corruption organization "Brotherhood of Defenders". First, representatives of the NGO wrote a report about the offense to the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, but it refused to proceed with the case. After that, the anti-corruption activists filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court, which fully agreed with the activists' arguments, obliging the SAPO to open criminal proceedings.
There is a real reasonable probability that the assets specified in the application, in the amount of approximately UAH 52 million 602 thousand 428, were acquired at the expense of illegal funds received during the performance of state functions by the Deputy Head of the Odessa Regional Prosecutor's Office PERSON_5, and they were registered in the name of close persons of the prosecutor only for appearance (disguise). The indicated circumstances may indicate that the prosecutor, as the subject of the declaration and a person authorized to perform state functions, committed criminal offenses for which criminal liability is provided for in accordance with Article 368-5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine "Illegal enrichment" and Article 366-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine "Declaration of false information
As UNIAN reminds, the fact that the Rakovich family may not live according to their means was revealed by the media at the end of last year. Thus, in August 2023, the prosecutor's mother registered a house with an area of 274.5 sq.m. in Sanzhiyka, Odessa region, located a few minutes' walk from the coast. In addition, at the same time, an apartment in Odessa with an area of about 100 sq.m. was registered for her. In 2023, an apartment in Odessa with an area of 94.7 sq.m. was registered for his mother-in-law. In addition, she already had a house in the city of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi and an apartment of 69 sq.m. in the French residential complex in Odessa.
By the way, earlier, in 2018, the mother and father of the deputy Odessa regional prosecutor gave him unexpected gifts - 650 thousand UAH each. Interestingly, even though after that, in 2019, Maksym Rakovich divorced, formally, according to the declaration, they live together all the time. Moreover, when Maksym's father passed away (by the way, he, like his son, worked in the prosecutor's office all his life), he left a considerable inheritance (in particular, 7.4 million UAH and expensive real estate) not to his son, but to his ex-wife
After the decision of the High Court of Criminal Appeals, the SAPO opened two separate proceedings against the Rakovichs - 42024000050000039 - for the fact of acquiring assets, the value of which significantly exceeds their legal income, and 42024000050000040 - for the facts of intentionally entering knowingly false information into the declarations of the defendants.
If the facts of entering false information into the declaration are confirmed, the persons involved in the case face a fine of four thousand to five thousand tax-free minimum incomes or community service for a term of one hundred and fifty to two hundred and forty hours, or restriction of liberty for a term of up to two years, or imprisonment for the same term, with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to three years. In the event of confirmation of the facts of illicit enrichment, the punishment may be imprisonment for a term of five to ten years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to three years.
Persons potentially involved in corruption schemes: no information is available from open sources about possible accomplices.
Assets: In his 2023 tax return, Rakovich indicated that he lives in an apartment in Odessa, and also uses a summer house, non-residential premises, and a parking space. All of the listed property belongs to his wife, Valentina.
At the same time, Maksym Rakovich indicated that already during the full-scale war he purchased a Toyota Land Cruiser.
Rakovich's income for 2023 was UAH 1,446,864, and his wife Valentyna's was UAH 7,673,312 (with Valentyna Rakovich receiving most of it as an inheritance).
Maksym Rakovych declared 170,000 UAH and 26,500 USD in cash, and 41,214 UAH in his bank accounts. At the same time, the official's wife declared 60,000 UAH and almost 54,000 USD in cash.
Persons who should have reacted: Law enforcement agencies reacted in a timely manner in the situation with Rakovich. However, the official has still not been punished.
Scandals: Before the corruption scheme, he was not seen as a figure in other scandals.
Sources:
https://24tv.ua/zastupnika-golovi-odeskoyi-oblprokuraturi-rakovicha-vidkrili_n2731754
https://dumskaya.net/news/u-rodstvennikov-bezdomnogo-odesskogo-prokurora-n-186412/ua/
https://public.nazk.gov.ua/documents/d378063b-0c10-4668-912b-1fc36362678f