Back in 2017, the Oktyabrsky District Court of Poltava convicted the aforementioned individual under Article 368, part 3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (receiving an improper advantage) and sentenced him to 7 years of imprisonment with property confiscation. The local court used the so-called “conviction in absentia” procedure.

 

Oleksander Mykytenko joined the defense after the above verdict had already been passed, at the appeal stage.

Following the appeal hearing, the Poltava Court of Appeal took the defense’s arguments into consideration and, in October 2021, overturned the previous court verdict and returned the criminal proceedings for another judicial review.