The Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court has opened proceedings following appeals by the SAPO prosecutor and the defence against the verdict handed down to Ivano-Frankivsk lawyer Ruslan Fedinyak, who was found guilty of fraud and incitement to bribe a judge. The Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court issued the relevant decision on 28 August 2026, setting a deadline of 3 September for the submission of objections.
The substance of the charges and the decision of the court of first instance
According to the investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), Ivano-Frankivsk lawyer Ruslan Fedinyak promised a client, in exchange for 1,500 US dollars, to resolve the matter with a judge regarding the closure of administrative proceedings for drink-driving (Article 130 of the Code of Administrative Offences). As law enforcement officers established, the lawyer had no intention of passing the funds on to the judge, but instead disposed of them at his own discretion.
On 20 July 2026, the High Anti-Corruption Court found Fedinyak guilty of committing criminal offences under Part 1 of Article 190 (fraud) and Part 2 of Article 15, Part 4 of Article 27, and Part 3 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (attempted incitement to provide an unlawful benefit). The court imposed a fine of 93,500 UAH on him.
‘To open appeal proceedings in respect of the appeals lodged by the defendant’s defence counsel and the prosecutor against the judgment of the High Anti-Corruption Court of 20 July 2026… To set a deadline of 3 September 2026 inclusive for the submission of any objections to the appeals,” the court’s decision states.
The course of the trial
The leniency of the sentence and the amount of the fine did not satisfy the prosecution, prompting the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office to lodge an appeal. At the same time, the lawyer’s defence team also challenged the High Anti-Corruption Court’s decision.
Meanwhile, the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court upheld the preventive measure previously imposed on Ruslan Fedinyak — a bail of 242,240 UAH, subject to the relevant procedural obligations.