Position: Head of the Bilhorod-Dniester Court.
Sphere of corruption: judicial.
Region of corruption activity: Odessa region.
Qualification: the actions are qualified under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: Art. 368 (obtaining unlawful benefit); Art. 369 (providing unlawful benefit); Art. 332 (organizing illegal border crossing); Art. 114-1 (obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine); Art. 376-1 (illegal interference in the work of automated justice systems).
Status: at large.
Case story: At the end of February 2025, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office exposed an organized group that helped conscripted men illegally travel abroad and receive deferments from mobilization.
According to media reports, the suspect was handed over to lawyer Stanislav Klymenko, the head of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi court, Valentyn Zaveryus (according to the investigation, the organizer), the former head and judge of the same court, Oleksandr Boyarskyi and Serhiy Savytskyi, respectively.
In the Odessa region, an organized group was exposed that worked within the judicial system and helped men subject to military service to illegally travel abroad and receive a deferment from mobilization. The SAPO prosecutor, on the instructions of the Deputy Prosecutor General - Head of the SAPO, reported suspicion to 4 persons who are members of the organized group, namely: the organizer of the crime - the head of the court; the current judge - the former head of the court; the judge; the lawyer
According to the investigation, the scheme consisted of making decisions about the alleged independent upbringing of a child by a father under fabricated circumstances. These decisions allowed men to avoid mobilization and leave the country under the pretext of caring for the child. For $3,500, a decision was made in one court session without the participation of the parties, which gave the right to travel abroad. In total, the investigation identified 1,040 such decisions.
For the conspiracy, the perpetrators created a "back office" of the court in a law firm and even advertised their "services" on social networks. Through joint efforts of NABU, SAPO and SBU, 8 members of an organized criminal group were reported on suspicion. In addition, 3 individuals were reported on suspicion of committing crimes related to the activities of an organized criminal group. Three judges received disciplinary action in the form of a motion to dismiss them
Their actions are qualified under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
● Article 368 – obtaining unlawful benefit;
● Article 369 – providing unlawful benefit;
● Article 332 – organization of illegal border crossing;
● Article 114-1 – obstruction of the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
● Article 376-1 – unlawful interference with the operation of automated justice systems.
Three judges received disciplinary action in the form of a motion to dismiss them.
The operation of NABU and SAPO lasted for more than a year. In January 2024, the transfer of an illegal benefit to one of the judges was documented for the promise to make the "necessary" decision. After that, the participants of the organized group continued their criminal activity. Later, in the summer and autumn of 2024, new crimes of the participants of the scheme were documented, as a result of which 9 more persons were reported on suspicion. In February 2025, NABU and SAPO collected enough evidence to qualify the actions of the participants of the scheme as part of an organized criminal group, as a result of which new suspicions were reported.
In January 2025, Valentyn Zaveryukha, a judge of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City District Court of the Odessa region, was temporarily suspended from administering justice based on the decision of the First Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council. Interestingly, Zaveryukha requested that the disciplinary case against him be closed at the High Council of Justice due to the fact that he had been mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Supreme Judicial Council denied his request, since judges are not subject to compulsory conscription, and Zaveryukha went to serve just when a criminal case for bribery was opened against him.
Oleksandr Boyarsky was suspended in February. On November 25, 2024, the First Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council imposed disciplinary sanctions on Judge Savytsky in the form of a motion for dismissal based on a complaint from the NABU.
Persons potentially involved in corruption schemes: in general, several persons are involved in the scheme. However, only a few names are publicly known today, in particular: lawyer Stanislav Klymenko, former head of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi court Oleksandr Boyarskyi, judge Serhiy Savytskyi, deputy head of the court's staff Inna Taruta.
Assets: in the declaration for 2023, Valentyn Zaveryukha indicated that he is registered in a house in the Odessa region, and also uses another residential building. Together with the official, his wife and children live in the residential building. Thus, according to the declaration, Zaveryukha does not have his own housing. Despite this, his wife owns part of a shop-bar.
The couple owns two cars - a VAZ (belongs to the official) and a Nissan X-Trail (belongs to Zaveryukha's wife). At the same time, in 2022, the official began using an elite Mercedes-Benz car.
Zaverha's salary for the second year of the full-scale war was 1,196,046 UAH, and his wife's income was 450,260 UAH.
The Zaveryukhs declared $31,000 in cash.
Persons who should have reacted: law enforcement agencies responded in a timely manner to the criminal activities of Zaveryukha and his accomplices, handing over suspicions to all participants in the corruption scheme.
Scandals: Before the corruption scheme, he was not seen as a figure in other scandals.
Sources:
https://nabu.gov.ua/news/tato-na-chas-viyiny-vykryto-suddivs-ko-advokats-ku-mafiiu/
https://public.nazk.gov.ua/documents/09c59c16-a58b-462d-85cf-2f9532feef75