Head of Ternopil RC, who promised to expel UOC, is detained for a bribe

Head of the Ternopil Regional Council Mykhailo Holovko. Photo: tor.gov.ua

On June 26, 2023, NABU detained the head of the Ternopil Regional Council, Mykhailo Holovko, who promised to expel the UOC from the Pochaiv Lavra and hand it over to the “Ukrainian Church”. The NABU press service reported about the detention.

According to the agency, the official demanded almost UAH 1.8 million from the volunteer for signing acts of completed work on the construction and repair of communal facilities.

Holovko and two deputy heads of the Ternopil RSA were detained during the transfer of the third tranche in the amount of over UAH 600,000.

“Despite the fact that the entrepreneur was engaged in volunteer activities and helped the army, the authorities still demanded to pay a bribe,” NABU noted.

The detainees are to be handed a suspicion under Part 4 of Art. 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (bribery of a person who provides public services – Ed.). The sanction of the article provides for up to eight years in prison.

As the UOJ reported, the head of the Ternopil Regional Council, Mykhailo Holovko, said that he would find a way to "drive out the UOC" if the Pochaiv Lavra was handed over to the regional community.

The UOJ also wrote that law enforcement officers detained the organizer of the seizure of churches in the Kyiv region on suspicion of extortion.

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