Former President of the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) Andriy Pavelko has been ordered to appear before the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv regarding a high-profile corruption case. On April 23 of this year, the Office of the Prosecutor General officially submitted the criminal case against Pavelko and former UAF General Secretary Yuriy Zapisotskyi to court. The former executives are accused of misappropriating 26.5 million UAH during the 2016–2017 procurement of equipment for a manufacturing plant intended to produce artificial turf for football pitches.
According to investigators, the orchestrators of the scheme not only embezzled domestic funds but also transferred approximately 15 million UAH to the accounts of a controlled enterprise registered abroad. The actions of the suspects have been legally classified as grand misappropriation of property and the legalization (laundering) of criminally obtained proceeds.
The criminal case is currently being reviewed in the Pechersk District Court under Presiding Judge Kristina Konstantynova. Notably, the automated case distribution process was limited to a pool of only five eligible judges.
The current locations of the two main co-defendants remain split. Andriy Pavelko formally informed investigative authorities that he is undergoing medical treatment in Germany. However, unverified reports suggest his presence in other European nations, including Austria, Italy, and Spain, raising questions regarding his strict adherence to the medical leave.
Meanwhile, co-defendant Yuriy Zapisotskyi remains within Ukraine as of April 2026.
Background: Andriy Pavelko is currently placed on Ukraine’s national wanted list. Law enforcement agencies are now awaiting the issuance of an Interpol Red Notice to initiate an international manhunt and proceed with formal extradition requests.