Ukrainian anti-corruption court sentences former migration official Dina Pimakhova to 9 years
Ukraine’s Higher Anti-Corruption Court convicted former first deputy head of the State Migration Service Dina Pimakhova of accepting an especially large unlawful benefit and sentenced her to nine years in prison. The court also ordered the confiscation of all her property and imposed a public-office ban whose duration was reported as either two or three years.
Key points
- The Higher Anti-Corruption Court issued the verdict on 2 November.
- Pimakhova was convicted under Part 4 of Article 368 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code.
- The court sentenced Pimakhova to 9 years in prison.
- All property belonging to Pimakhova was ordered confiscated.
- Sources reported the public-office ban as either 2 or 3 years.
- The judgment may take legal effect after 30 days if it is not appealed.
- Pimakhova was ordered to pay 152,874 hryvnias in expert-related procedural costs.
Why it matters
The conviction concerns alleged corruption in Ukraine’s migration, citizenship, residence-permit and passport services involving foreign nationals. The nine-year sentence, confiscation of all her property and public-office ban represent significant penalties for a senior former civil servant. The case also illustrates how an investigation launched as an undercover operation in 2017 continued for roughly nine years before judgment.
What happened
On 2 November, Ukraine’s Higher Anti-Corruption Court convicted former State Migration Service official Dina Pimakhova of requesting and accepting an unlawful benefit in an especially large amount. She received nine years in prison, and the court ordered the confiscation of all her property. It also barred her from holding certain public offices, excluding elected positions, although sources differed on whether the ban lasts two or three years. The court additionally awarded 152,874 hryvnias in procedural costs for the use of experts. The judgment was issued with a separate opinion and will take legal effect in 30 days unless appealed.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting focuses on the verdict, the nine-year sentence, confiscation of Pimakhova’s property and the prohibition on holding public office. Reports provide extensive detail about the alleged transactions, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention’s 2017 undercover operation and the roughly nine-year investigation, while reflecting the disagreement over the duration of the public-office ban.
Where reporting differs
Ukrainian sources disagree on the duration of the prohibition preventing Pimakhova from holding certain public offices: some report two years, while others state three years. No other material disagreement is recorded in the synthesis.
Background
Pimakhova was the first deputy head of the State Migration Service and left the agency at her own request in March 2018. The National Agency on Corruption Prevention said its operation began in April 2017 to uncover an organized criminal group involving current and former officials of the service. Agent Serhiy Titенков later alleged that Pimakhova agreed to take a bribe but then reported an attempted provocation to law-enforcement authorities; she denied soliciting the payment. The investigation continued for roughly nine years.