The High Anti-Corruption Court has delivered its verdict against Dina Pymakhova, former First Deputy Head of the State Migration Service. She was found guilty under Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code (accepting an offer, promise or receipt of an unlawful benefit by an official on an especially large scale, or committed by an official holding a particularly responsible position).
The HACC press service reported this. It added that the court established several instances in which Pymakhova asked for, or asked for and received, an unlawful benefit.
In 2017, she received $1,800 to ensure that a Vietnamese citizen was issued a temporary residence permit on the basis of fictitious employment.
She also demanded $30,000 to arrange for an Iranian citizen to obtain Ukrainian citizenship “by territorial origin” using forged documents, a DNA test involving stand-ins and a court ruling establishing family ties, as well as to issue him a Ukrainian citizen’s passport and an international passport for travel abroad.
“The defendant has been given a final sentence of nine years’ imprisonment, with deprivation of the right to hold the positions specified in Clause 1 and sub-clauses ‘a’ and ‘c’ of Clause 2, Part 1, Article 3 of the Law of Ukraine ‘On Prevention of Corruption’, except elected positions, for a period of three years, and with confiscation of all property belonging to her,” the court said.
The decision was issued with a dissenting opinion. The maximum penalty under the charge provides for up to 12 years’ imprisonment.
The Pymakhova Case
The investigation into Pymakhova lasted nine years, starting in 2017. In March 2018, Dina Pymakhova, the First Deputy Head of the Migration Service, resigned after being implicated in a corruption scandal.
In November 2019, SBU officers detained an undercover NABU agent who had been handling Pymakhova. After that, NABU said the special operation had been sabotaged and released video of the agent’s talks with Pymakhova, filmed with a hidden camera.
NABU agent Serhii Titenkov entered into a close relationship with Pymakhova and tried to negotiate the legalisation of foreigners in Ukraine in exchange for bribes. She agreed, but later filed a complaint with law enforcement alleging provocation of a bribe. In January, NABU carried out searches at Pymakhova’s flat, but she was not served with a notice of suspicion.
In May 2018, the Prosecutor General’s Office informed the former Deputy Head of the State Migration Service that she was suspected of taking a bribe.
In December 2019, Pymakhova was notified of suspicion in the case concerning the failed operation involving undercover NABU agents.