MP Odarchenko accused of graft flees to Romania, asks Bucharest for asylum

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine has determined that Andriy Odarchenko, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament from the Servant of the People party, who is accused of corruption, has fled to Romania. This information was revealed during a session of the High Anti-Corruption Court on Monday, September 23.

"According to the information available to the investigative body, Odarchenko crossed the border into Romania outside of official checkpoints and subsequently applied to Romanian authorities for asylum," said the prosecutor representing the accusation in the case against the lawmaker.

The last person to see Odarchenko in Kyiv was his driver.

The parliamentarian has been declared an international fugitive.

In response to Odarchenko's escape, the prosecutor from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) filed a motion to seize the 15 million hryvnias ($362,547) bail and transfer it to the state treasury. Additionally, a motion was filed to change the preventive measure from bail to detention.

Odarchenko is on trial for attempting to bribe Mustafa Nayyem, the former head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development, with bitcoins in 2023. The bribe was allegedly offered in exchange for assistance in obtaining funds from the fund for the liquidation of the consequences of armed aggression for the repair of buildings at the State Biotechnological University, where Odarchenko continues to serve as rector (his contract has been suspended).

The actions of the legislator have been qualified as an attempt to offer a bribe, under Part 4 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code. The penalty for this offense is imprisonment for a term of five to ten years.

The Odarchenko case is the first instance in the history of Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies where an illegal benefit was documented in cryptocurrency.

The lawmaker has denied transferring the money, claiming that he was only helping Nayyem understand cryptocurrencies.