The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has ruled to initiate special judicial proceedings (in absentia) against Pavlo Barbul, former director of state enterprise SpetsTechnoExport, his former deputy Anton Voronin, and businessman Viktor Markelov. The defendants are accused of embezzling over UAH 146 million in funds allocated for Ukrainian defense sector enterprises and subsequently laundering the proceeds.
A judicial panel granted the motion filed by prosecutors of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). Special trial proceedings allow the court to hear the case without the defendants physically present, as all three suspects have fled the country and remain on international wanted lists.
«The prosecutor’s motion to conduct special judicial proceedings is hereby granted. Special judicial proceedings shall be conducted in the criminal trial regarding Barbul, Voronin, and Markelov,» the court ruling states.
According to NABU and SAPO investigators, the defendants executed a scheme to siphon off funds from state-owned defense companies using fictitious agency agreements and intentionally disadvantageous contracts related to military exports.
The prosecution has brought formal charges under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
Pavlo Barbul (former Director): Misappropriation, embezzlement, or seizure of property through abuse of office in particularly large amounts (Part 5, Art. 191), forgery in office (Part 1, Art. 366), and money laundering (Part 3, Art. 209).
Anton Voronin (former Deputy Director): Aiding and abetting embezzlement, forgery, and money laundering (Part 5, Art. 27; Part 5, Art. 191; Part 1, Art. 366; Part 3, Art. 209).
Viktor Markelov (Entrepreneur): Aiding and abetting embezzlement and money laundering (Part 5, Art. 27; Part 5, Art. 191; Part 3, Art. 209).
Following the completion of pre-trial investigations and the submission of the indictment to the HACC, the court completed preliminary hearings and approved the transition to an in absentia trial on the merits.
This proceeding is part of broader anti-corruption enforcement surrounding SpetsTechnoExport, a major state armaments trader. Former leadership figures have previously faced investigation in related cases involving foreign contracts and military procurement deals. Proceeding in absentia enables the HACC to reach a final verdict and paves the way for potential asset recovery and state asset forfeiture.