“Yesterday, December 30, the Security Service of Ukraine announced the detention of lawyer Serhii Stetsyuk, the defense attorney of businessman Ihor Kolomoiskyi. Stetsyuk is suspected of extorting $100,000 from representatives of capital construction companies for allegedly “solving” tax issues. According to the investigation, Stetsyuk did not have any real authority to influence the decisions of the tax authorities, but misled the business by threatening fines”, — write on: ua.news
Yesterday, December 30, the Security Service of Ukraine announced the detention of lawyer Serhii Stetsyuk, the defense attorney of businessman Ihor Kolomoiskyi. Stetsyuk is suspected of extorting $100,000 from representatives of capital construction companies for allegedly “solving” tax issues. According to the investigation, Stetsyuk had no real authority to influence the decisions of tax authorities, but misled businesses by threatening fines in the amount of almost UAH 1 billion.
According to the SBU, the scheme was active in June-July 2025. The money was transferred through an intermediary, and the criminal proceedings themselves were documented for more than a year — hundreds of hours of audio and video materials were documented. In the Pechersk court, the prosecution insisted on taking Stetsyuk into custody with an alternative bail of UAH 40 million, but the court partially granted the request, setting a bail of UAH 4.5 million.
At the same time, Serhii Stetsyuk himself categorically denies any involvement in the incriminated actions. In a letter to his client Igor Kolomoiskyi, he stated gross violations during his detention and searches, which, according to him, were accompanied by physical violence, psychological pressure and ignoring his status as a lawyer and Honorary Consul of the Republic of Moldova.
According to Stetsyuk, on December 15, 2025, his car with diplomatic license plates was blocked by unidentified persons in civilian clothes and balaclavas in the village of Kozyn, Kyiv region. The lawyer claims that he was forcibly pulled out of the car, thrown onto the asphalt and beaten, despite the lack of resistance. The doctors registered physical injuries, and later, according to the results of a computer tomography, he was diagnosed with fractures of the 9th and 10th ribs.
Separately, Stetsyuk emphasizes that the search of the car, and later of the home, apartments and office began without a court order, without the participation of representatives of the Bar Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which, in his opinion, violates both national legislation and the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. According to him, during the investigation, mobile phones and a laptop were seized, which contain legal and consular correspondence, that is, information protected by law.
Ihor Kolomoisky himself, who is in custody, publicly supported the position of his defender. In a statement to the media, he said that he did not consent to the removal of materials that may contain attorney’s secrets, and considers the actions of the security forces to be an interference in the exercise of his right to defense.
Yesterday, the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv considered the issue election preventive measure to Serhiy Stetsyuk. The court did not satisfy the request of the defense to hand over the suspect on bail, in particular to People’s Deputy from European Solidarity Mykhailo Bondar.
Based on the results of the review, the judge made a decision to take Stetsyuk into custody with the alternative of posting bail in the amount of 4.5 million hryvnias.
Earlier, The Pechersk court extended the preventive measure against the former head of Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, but relaxed the restrictions. Now he can be more free move Kyiv, and the bail was reduced to 7 million hryvnias. The bracelet for control remained. About this To the public reported Volodymyr Kudrytskyi.
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