Position: Former State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Area of Corrupt Activity: International assistance.
Region of Corrupt Activity: Nationwide.
Legal Qualification: Part 4 of Article 190, Part 5 of Article 191, and Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Status: The court set bail as an alternative to detention in the amount of UAH 10 million.
Case Details: The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) exposed an organized criminal group headed by a former State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. Its members misappropriated funds provided by foreign citizens and donors to support Ukraine at the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion and laundered them through conversion centers.
According to the investigation, the State Secretary of the MFA persuaded international donors and subordinate employees of Ukrainian diplomatic missions abroad to transfer financial assistance to the bank account of a non-governmental organization under his control. According to expert findings, the funds received by this NGO legally constituted earmarked budget funds from the special fund of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
The funds were subsequently transferred to accounts belonging to controlled individual entrepreneurs and legal entities, which then forwarded them to conversion centers to be cashed out. Members of the scheme used the laundered money for their personal enrichment.
To create the appearance of legitimate activity by the NGO, the scheme’s participants produced fictitious letters and signed grant agreements containing false information.
The investigation has so far established the laundering of funds totaling more than UAH 37 million (approximately USD 1.28 million at the time the crime was committed). Those suspected include: the former State Secretary of the MFA (2020–2024), who organized the scheme; the former head of the State Secretary’s office, a serving diplomatic employee; an adviser to the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, who headed the NGO under their control; and the NGO’s accountant. Legal qualification: Part 4 of Article 190, Part 5 of Article 191, and Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Materials from the State Audit Service of Ukraine were used in exposing the crime. The investigation is ongoing, and all circumstances of the crime are being established. The High Anti-Corruption Court ordered the former State Secretary of the MFA, Oleksandr Bankov, to be held in custody until September 30 in a case concerning the alleged embezzlement of international assistance intended for Ukraine. The court set bail as an alternative to detention in the amount of UAH 10 million.
Under the court’s ruling, Bankov will remain in the pre-trial detention center until September 30. As previously reported, the former State Secretary of the MFA is suspected of involvement in the embezzlement of international assistance intended for Ukraine at the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion.
The hearing on the motion to impose a preventive measure took place over several sessions — on July 29 and 31, as well as August 3.
The prosecutor from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office asked the court to remand the former official in custody with bail set at UAH 15 million as an alternative. The defense, in turn, insisted on a less restrictive preventive measure, arguing that such a bail amount was excessively high.
Individuals Potentially Involved in Corruption Schemes: Those suspected include: the former State Secretary of the MFA (2020–2024), who organized the scheme; the former head of the State Secretary’s office, a serving diplomatic employee; an adviser to the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, who headed the NGO under their control; and the NGO’s accountant.
Assets: There is no declaration for Riabkov in the NACP register.
Authorities Responsible for Responding: In Riabkov’s case, law enforcement authorities responded in a timely manner.
Scandals: Open sources contain no information about any other scandals involving Riabkov.
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