The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has sentenced Oleksiy Nosov, a former co-managing partner of the prominent Ukrainian law firm Miller, to four and a half years in prison. The court found the defense attorney guilty of offering a $200,000 bribe to prosecutors from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). In addition to the prison sentence, Nosov has been barred from practicing law for three years.
According to the investigation, the illicit financial inducement was aimed at altering the legal status of Nosov’s client, Yulia Frolova, the chairperson of the board at Alliance Bank. In exchange for the $200,000, prosecutors were expected to reclassify the charges against her to a lesser offense and transfer the criminal proceedings from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) to the National Police of Ukraine.
Yulia Frolova is a key suspect in the high-profile energy sector corruption case, commonly referred to as the «Kiperman case.» The probe centers on massive financial irregularities that caused substantial economic damage to the state.
Law enforcement agencies established that a scheme was executed in 2022 to illegally seize electricity from the state grid operator, NPC Ukrenergo, and subsequently launder the proceeds. The total damage resulting from the fraudulent operations exceeds 716 million UAH.
«The illicit scheme was allegedly carried out by United Energy, a company linked to billionaire Ihor Kolomoisky. Alliance Bank, headed by Frolova, served as the financial guarantor for these energy transactions.»
The corruption scandal involving the anti-corruption lawyer has triggered a significant reaction within Ukraine’s legal community. Immediately following Nosov’s arrest, the Miller law firm publicly severed all ties with its former partner, emphasizing its commitment to professional ethics and the rule of law. The HACC ruling has not yet entered into force and can be appealed in the High Anti-Corruption Court’s Appellate Chamber.