Law enforcement agencies have officially notified Oleh Radkovsky, the Deputy Head of the Odesa Regional Council and leader of the local «Batkivshchyna» party branch, of misconduct charges. The official is accused of fraud and extortion in exchange for promising to alter the designated use of a land plot. The update was shared by the press services of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the investigation, the official promised an Odesa region resident that he would facilitate changing the designated status of a 1.6-hectare land plot in exchange for a financial reward. The request involved reclassifying agricultural land into land permitted for residential construction and maintenance.
To appear convincing, the deputy arranged a meeting at a restaurant in the historic center of Odesa. During the conversation, he demonstratively called an individual he claimed was a village council representative to create the impression that the matter was already being processed. In reality, Radkovsky lacked the authority to decide such matters, as land reclassification rests solely with local self-government bodies following established legal procedures.
Details of the transaction: Following the official’s instructions, the money was to be left on the front seat of a parked Mercedes-Benz via an intermediary. The suspect also provided the victim with the contact details of a woman who was supposedly handling the legal procedures. Despite delivering the cash, the victim never received the promised results, and the money was not returned.
The case files reveal varying figures regarding the transaction. While prosecutors have currently documented a $10,000 incident, the SBU reports that the total amount demanded by the politician reached $50,000. The developer was allegedly threatened with artificial administrative delays in document preparation if they refused to pay.
To execute the corruption scheme in the Odesa region, the regional council official allegedly enlisted accomplices. These included the secretary of a village council in the Odesa district and the head of a local engineering company.
The actions of the Deputy Head of the Odesa Regional Council have been classified under Part 4 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (large-scale fraud).
The prosecution has petitioned the court to select a preventive measure for the suspect. The state is requesting detention with an alternative bail set at nearly 10 million UAH.
Background: Oleh Radkovsky heads the Odesa regional branch of the «Batkivshchyna» party. Media reports have previously linked other high-profile figures to his political network, including former Odesa Deputy Mayor Dmytro Zheman and former Deputy Prosecutor General Dmytro Verbytskyi.