Court Sentences MP Yurchenko to 9 Years in Prison and Asset Forfeiture in the ‘Buns’ Case

The High Anti-Corruption Court found Member of Parliament Oleksandr Yurchenko guilty in a case of improper benefits and sentenced him to nine years in prison with confiscation of property. The court also deprived him of the right to hold certain positions for three years. This is reported by Glavkom citing the court’s decision.

Yurchenko was accused of, in a veiled form, asking to be delivered through his assistant Ivan Fishchenko $10 pressure for himself and $200 pressure for members of the parliamentary committee. The funds, according to the accusation, were to be provided with the facilitation of adopting legislative changes in the interests of a foreign company.

It was the use of the word “plushky” in the case materials that gave it the unofficial name “the plushky case.” Yurchenko’s case was considered by the court from 2021 year. In 2024 year, due to the replacement of one of the judges in the panel, the proceedings had to start over.

This summer there was a risk of re-opening the hearings because of a possible change in the panel’s composition. At the same time, the judges managed to complete the consideration of the case before that.

Yurchenko became the third active MP to receive a real prison term. Previously, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAOSP) sentenced MP Anatoliy Hunko to four years in prison, and deputy Lyudmila Marchenko to two years. At the same time, the verdict can be appealed in the appellate instance.

As reported on 4 last November, the High Anti-Corruption Court allowed removing the electronic ankle monitor from Yurchenko. The deputy himself stated that the case against him is “fabricated” and promised to continue fighting. Yurchenko left the Servant of the People faction in September after information about a bribe.