Corruption Court Seals Verdict for Former Deputy Minister Linked to Avakov

The Case Against Oleksii Takhtai

According to Главком: On June 22, the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine approved a plea agreement for Oleksii Takhtai, the former State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The verdict itself has been classified and withheld from public disclosure. Takhtai faced charges under Article 191, Part 5; Article 368, Part 4; and Article 209, Part 1 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code. The state institution that served as the victim in the case-the Service Center for Ministry of Internal Affairs Units-consented to the plea deal.

Details of the Allegations

The charges stem from a tender for video surveillance and access control equipment intended for Ministry of Internal Affairs buildings. Investigators allege that Takhtai rigged the bidding process to ensure a preselected company won the contract. As a result, the state institution paid an inflated price for the equipment, causing damages exceeding 16 million hryvnias. Official information about Takhtai’s sentence has not been released.

Notably, Takhtai previously served as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs under Arsen Avakov. In 2017, he was awarded the Order of Merit, Second Class. He also appears in a video allegedly recorded in the office of Serhiy Chebotar in December 2014. Anti-corruption authorities formally notified Takhtai of the charges in January 2025, marking the start of the court proceedings.

'The court sealed the verdict from the public. Based on the ruling to schedule the preparatory hearing, Takhtai was charged under Article 191, Part 5; Article 368, Part 4; and Article 209, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.' - Court Reporter

This case is a significant milestone in Ukraine's fight against corruption, demonstrating that high-ranking officials can be held accountable for abuse of office. Given the substantial financial harm to the state, the outcome of the investigation and trial could serve as a strong deterrent to other officials. However, the secrecy surrounding the verdict also raises concerns about the transparency of judicial proceedings in high-level corruption cases.