Journalists from “Schemes” uncovered charitable connections and influential ties of judges facilitated by Andriy Porotnov, the former deputy head of the Presidential Administration under Viktor Yanukovych
The project, owned by "Radio Svoboda," conducted an in-depth analysis of archival documents from the High Council of Justice and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine covering the period from 2009 to 2014. The findings revealed that the former official and his allies had a significant influence on the appointment of judges across various judicial instances in the country, especially in the jurisdictions of Luhansk and Kyiv. One key detail was that in December 2011, the High Council of Justice (HCJ) supported the nomination of Viktoria Yanukovych, the then-escapee president, regarding the appointment of Andriy Sekirskyi as a judge of the Luhansk Commercial Court. Interestingly, this candidate was the brother of Porotnov’s ex-wife, Tetyana. According to documents, this vote was supported by all attendees, including Andriy Porotnov himself. Earlier, in July 2010, all present members agreed to support the candidacy of the wife of a judge at the Luhansk District Administrative Court, Angela Sekirskaya. This decision was also supported by those still serving in Ukraine’s judicial system. Furthermore, in May 2010, the HCJ voted to transfer Olena Isayevska, Porotnov’s sister, to the position of judge at Kyiv’s Pechersky District Court. Porotnov abstained from voting and recused himself. Later, Isayevska became a lawyer, defending her brother’s interests in court proceedings, including at the Pechersky Court. Notably, this is not the full extent: between 2009 and 2011, judges associated with Porotnov supported nominations and voted for the appointment of several of his close associates—most notably, in 2011, they supported the nomination of Tetyana Skochok, who previously worked as his assistant—who continue to hold judicial status and receive salaries. Another episode involved the support in December 2011 for the candidacy of Inna Belokonna, the ex-wife of Porotnov, who held the position of judge at the Obolon District Court of Kyiv. The High Council of Justice supported her candidacy, and she still performs her duties as a judge. Significant influence was also exercised by Pavlo Vovk, who was appointed head of Kyiv’s District Administrative Court in September 2010. His appointment involved influential figures such as then-House speaker Volodymyr Kivalev, Porotnov, and Lidiya Izovitova, now head of the Ukrainian Bar Council. Kivalev’s nephew and Porotnov, Serhiy Mohil, was appointed as a judge of the Higher Commercial Court of Ukraine in 2009, indicating systemic influence and connections of this oligarchic clique. "Schemes" journalists also investigated the activity of judges in courts that regularly reviewed cases brought by Porotnov and were favorable to him. Specifically, in the Pechersky District of Kyiv, cases were considered by judges Serhiy Vovk, Svitlana Volkova, Iryna Lytvynova, Oleksii Sokolov, and Tetyana Ilyieva. It turns out that these judges worked together within a single judicial panel during Yanukovych’s rule and maintained close ties with Porotnov’s sister, Olena Isayevska. Additionally, particular attention was drawn to judges of the Kyiv Court of Appeal who most frequently heard cases involving Porotnov and rendered decisions in his favor. Notable among them are Maksym Onyshchuk, Lyubov Polyvach, Viktoria Shebuyeva, and Hanna Kryzhanivska. Their involvement in cases with known oligarchic influence demonstrates a systemic approach to providing legal protection and supporting the interests of Andriy Porotnov and his entourage during his period of greatest influence over Ukraine’s judicial system. This analysis provides a new level of understanding of how, during Yanukovych’s dictatorship, the corrupt judicial system could serve as an instrument for protecting and advancing certain individuals—particularly through a special network mechanism that over the years allowed individual judges to make rulings in favor of oligarchic clans and their affiliates. The documents obtained by journalists deepen the understanding of this influence scheme and systemic abuses within the justice sphere, illustrating how far political and financial influence could go in Ukraine’s judiciary under Yanukovych.