The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has placed lawyer Andrii Dovbenko on the wanted list, identifying him as the organizer of a large-scale corruption scheme within Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice system. Between 2017 and 2019, the organized crime group facilitated the sale of seized assets at artificially depressed prices through ARMA and the state enterprise SETAM, causing over 485 million UAH in damages to the state.
These details stem from an extensive investigation by NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) targeting systematic abuse among officials within the Ministry of Justice and its subordinate agencies.
According to investigators, Dovbenko designed and executed a scheme to gain full control over the asset-disposal pipeline—from the moment evidence was transferred to the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) to its eventual sale to controlled companies. The operation implicated former ARMA head Anton Yanchuk and former SETAM General Director Viktor Vyshnov.
By manipulating regulatory frameworks and electronic auctions, the group sold seized properties far below market value. Key documented instances include:
Land plots in Odesa Oblast: Sold at 18 times below market price;
River sand in Kyiv Oblast: Undervalued by more than 6 times;
Over 4.5 thousand tons of urea: Sold nearly 5 times below market value;
Agricultural commodities (grain, crops): Realized at a quarter of their market worth.
A distinct facet of the operation involved a former Member of Parliament and an officer from the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU). To evade repaying a bank loan exceeding 200 million UAH, the participants initiated a staged criminal investigation.
«Debt claim rights valued at 128 million UAH were seized, transferred to ARMA, and auctioned off via SETAM to a controlled entity for just 16 million UAH,» according to case files.
Additionally, law enforcement uncovered a system of kickbacks, where private enforcement officers were forced to return 30% of their bonuses. The funds were laundered into cash through shell companies and conversion centers before being distributed to senior Ministry of Justice officials.
Anti-corruption authorities continue to pursue charges against all participants in the network. In addition to the warrant for Andrii Dovbenko, formal suspicion notices have been served to former SETAM head Viktor Vyshnov, while broader investigations into high-level political patrons remain ongoing.