Law enforcement officers have detained Liubov Nestyrenko, legal advisor to the President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI), alongside her son for soliciting a €100,000 bribe. According to investigators, the funds were demanded from a representative of LLC «Vyriy,» owned by businessman Oleksii Babenko, in exchange for an official certificate acknowledging a material change in circumstances (hardship) on a state contract following a warehouse fire.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) opened criminal proceedings No. 22026000000000389 under Part 5, Article 27, and Part 4, Article 368-3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (bribery of an official).
According to case files, Nestyrenko’s son demanded the illicit payment on July 1 at a restaurant on Velyka Vasylkivska Street in Kyiv. The handover occurred in two tranches:
July 6: An initial payment of €50,000;
July 7: The remaining €50,000 (using sting money), immediately following which law enforcement intervened and apprehended the suspects.
The court has remanded both suspects in custody. Bail for Liubov Nestyrenko has been set at UAH 10 million, while her son’s bail stands at UAH 5 million.
The corporate entity at the center of the controversy is Oleksii Babenko’s company, LLC «Vyriy.» The firm recently faced searches by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) regarding alleged public procurement corruption schemes.
According to sources within law enforcement:
“Babenko attempted to become an informant for the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) on at least five separate occasions, bringing recorded audio logs of his business conversations. However, detectives uncovered his double game and shut the door on cooperation.”
Attempts by suspects to secure immunity or leverage law enforcement channels to mask ongoing illegal operations are a recurring challenge in major corruption investigations.
Similar precedents include:
The Oleg Zhuchenko Case: The former Odesa regional prosecutor, indicted by NABU over land fraud schemes, turned in a mediator offering to resolve court proceedings.
The Dmytro Sennychenko Case: The former head of the State Property Fund exposed rival corrupt actors while shielding his own illegal operations.
The current proceedings surrounding LLC «Vyriy» reflect a similar operational tactic, where target figures attempt to instrumentalize law enforcement mechanisms for personal protection.