Position: Chairman of the Western Economic Court of Appeal.
Sphere of corruption: judicial.
Region of corruption activity: Lviv city.
Qualification: None at this time.
Status: at large.
Assets: In his 2024 declaration, Maksym Zhelik indicated that he owns a land plot and has the right to use an apartment in Lviv. His wife Oleksandra also owns a land plot, a residential building, and has the right to use a parking space.
In addition, Maksym Zhelik owns a BMW motorcycle (worth UAH 391,699), and during the full-scale war he purchased a Mercedes-Benz car (worth UAH 1,330,000). His wife owns an Audi car, the cost of which Oleksandra Zhelik decided not to specify.
The judge's income for 2024 was UAH 2,701,909, and his wife's was UAH 1,159,056.
Zhelik declared a total of $255,000 in cash, and also has $18,000 in his possession without the right to use. The official's bank account has UAH 228,710.
Scandals: In November 2024, NABU detectives searched the apartment of Maksym Zhelik. The search was carried out as part of an investigation into the extortion of $1 million in bribes by the now former chairman of the Lviv Regional Commercial Court, Vasyl Artymovych, the judge of this court, Mykhailo Yurkevich, and the chairman of the Western Commercial Court of Appeal, Borys Plotnitsky, for influencing the decision-making of judges of the Western Commercial Court of Appeal.
During a search of the current chairman of the Western Appeal Economic Court, Maksym Zhelik, an Apple iPhone 16 Pro and over $271,000 in cash were seized. During an examination of the phone, detectives found chats with judges of the Western Appeal Economic Court in the WhatsApp application, which were completely or partially cleared. The chats included a function for auto-deleting messages. They also found an exchange of calls and messages with arrangements for meetings between Maksym Zhelik and Vasyl Artymovych.
When asked about the origin of $271,000 in cash, Maksym Zhelik said that $100,000 were savings that were indicated in the declaration for 2023, and the rest were savings for 2024. This was also confirmed by his wife, judge of the Lviv District Administrative Court Oleksandra Zhelik.
Another $150,000, as Maksym Zhelik explained, was given to him for safekeeping by his father for the purpose of possible purchase of real estate in the future.
At the end of December 2024, the High Anti-Corruption Court granted the prosecutor's request and seized Maksym Zhelik's mobile phone and the seized $271,000 in cash. According to the investigation, part of these funds ($100,000) could have been received by the court chairman as an illegal benefit.
The chairman of the Western Commercial Court of Appeal appealed this decision. On March 10, the Appellate Chamber of the High Commercial Court of Appeal decided to return to Maksym Zhelyk $100,000 declared by him in his 2023 tax return. At the same time, $171,000 was left under arrest, “since they do not correspond to the declared monetary assets, as well as the income received.”
Related persons: former chairman of the Commercial Court of Lviv Region Vasyl Artymovych, judge of this court Mykhailo Yurkevich, and chairman of the Western Commercial Court of Appeal Borys Plotnitsky.
Persons who should respond: Employees of the NACP, SAPO, and NABU should pay attention to Zhelyk's activities.
Sources:
https://public.nazk.gov.ua/documents/0bebafa2-886b-4a67-9f8c-13f16c2bfd15