VAKS ordered acting Prosecutor General Kovalskyi to open a case regarding Arahamia – Anti-Corruption Center – Center for Investigative Journalism

The High Anti-Corruption Court (VAKS) obliged acting Prosecutor General Anton Kovalskyi to enter information into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations about a possible crime by the head of the Servant of the People faction, Davyd Arahamia. Earlier, Kovalskyi refused to register a complaint alleging that Arahamia might have handed out “envelopes” to deputies for votes and forwarded it to NABU.

This was reported by the Anti-Corruption Center.

“4, Judge Markiyan Halabala of the High Anti-Corruption Court (VAKS) granted the complaint by the Anti-Corruption Center (ACC) concerning the inaction of acting Prosecutor General Anton Kovalskyi. Kovalskyi is now obliged to enter into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations (URPI) information about a possible crime by the head of the Servant of the People faction, Davyd Arahamia,” the report says.

The ACC filed a complaint with the Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG) back on 19 October. It described facts of Arahamia possibly distributing envelopes containing illegal payments to members of parliament for votes in the legislature. The allegations indicate an offense under part 4 of article 368 of the Criminal Code — receiving an undue benefit.

However, acting Prosecutor General Kovalskyi refused to register the proceeding. The OPG replied that these circumstances are allegedly already being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and simply forwarded the complaint to the Bureau.

But under the law, only the Prosecutor General or the person acting in that role can enter information about a possible crime by a member of parliament into the URPI.

3 November, NABU officially confirmed that without such registration, detectives cannot investigate the case concerning Arahamia.

At the VAKS hearing, an OPG prosecutor asked that the complaint be denied. He argued that NABU is already investigating similar instances of MPs receiving undue benefits, and that the circumstances described by the ACC could be checked within that proceeding.

However, the investigating judge disagreed with that position and granted the ACC’s complaint.

“Kovalskyi chose the same tactic as his predecessor Kravchenko: pretend the case is already being investigated somewhere and forward the complaint to a body that cannot investigate it. That creates a closed loop in which the head of the Servant of the People faction is effectively untouchable. Today the court broke that loop. Now Kovalskyi has no lawful way to continue shielding Arahamia. If he continues to delay registering the case, that will no longer be inaction but a deliberate failure to comply with a court decision,” said ACC Executive Director Darya Kaleniuk.

A judge’s ruling issued after consideration of such a complaint is not subject to appeal.

Reminder:

27 December 2025, NABU informed that five current members of parliament were suspected. According to the investigation, they were part of an organized group that ensured MPs received undue benefits for voting in the Verkhovna Rada. Among the suspects is Deputy Head of the Servant of the People faction Yurii Kisiel.

VAKS rulings indicate the group was led by an unidentified member of parliament from the Servant of the People faction leadership. According to court materials, at the end of 2025 the year this person received 85 thousand dollars in undue benefit.

Media also reported about a search of an aide to Arahamia in this case. According to the investigation, Kisiel may have received money from Arahamia’s aide, kept part of it for himself, and passed the rest on to other group members.