$150,000 bribe: HACC sentences National Police investigator Potalapi to probation for "cooperation" and donation to AFU

$150,000 bribe: HACC sentences National Police investigator Potalapi to probation for "cooperation" and donation to AFU

Corruption in the environmental prosecutor’s office: a bribe of 150 thousand dollars.

HACC issued a lenient sentence to Vyacheslav Potalapa, former senior investigator in especially important cases of the Main Investigation Department of the National Police, who was involved in extorting a bribe of 150 thousand dollars.

According to the case materials under Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, in 2024, Potalap, while serving as an investigator, together with operative officer of the Department of Strategic Investigations of the NPU Oleksandr Maslov and prosecutor of the specialized environmental prosecutor’s office Andriy Hrytsan, who exercised procedural supervision, organized a scheme to receive a bribe from the case defendant related to illegal extraction of minerals (case No. 42021000000002286 and the one separated from it No. 12023000000001563).

Investigator Potalapa, having access to the case materials and authority to initiate the arrest of property (machinery, trucks, loaders, railway cars, etc.) belonging to the suspect and companies controlled by him («Nerudbudpostach», «Petrahranit», «Inter-Vey»), as well as relatives, offered to «solve the issue» for 150,000 US dollars. The money was to be transferred for refraining from conducting new searches, arresting property, and obstructing business activities, as well as for facilitating the lifting of already imposed arrests and the quick completion of the investigation.

The scheme was implemented through an intermediary — a lawyer recruited by the operative officer. On April 11, 2024, at the «KLO» gas station in Hlevasa, the intermediary received 150 thousand dollars (equivalent to ≈ 5.85 million UAH at the NBU exchange rate at that time) from the brother of the main defendant. After receiving the funds, the operative officer was detained by NABU employees.

Potalapo entered into a plea agreement with the SAPO prosecutor (dated February 18, 2025). The agreement provided for: full admission of guilt; cooperation with the investigation in exposing another participant in the crime (providing incriminating testimony in a related proceeding); transferring 300,000 UAH for the needs of the defense forces (including to the «Come Back Alive» account for the purchase of drones).

The court approved the agreement, found Potalapa guilty under Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, and imposed the following punishment:  8 years of imprisonment;  deprivation of the right to hold positions in law enforcement agencies for 3 years; confiscation of movable property.

Potalapa was released from serving the prison sentence on probation for 3 years (Part 2 of Article 75 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which is allowed in corruption cases under an agreement for terms up to 8 years). During the probationary period, standard obligations are imposed: periodic registration with probation authorities, notification of changes in place of residence/work, prohibition on leaving the country without permission.

The pre-trial restraint measure in the form of bail (605.6 thousand UAH) remains in place until the sentence enters into legal force. Potalapa has no prior convictions, has a higher education, is married, and has two minor children dependent on him. At the time of the sentence, he was temporarily unemployed (dismissed from the police). The court took into account his sincere remorse, active assistance in exposing accomplices, and the absence of material damage from the crime as mitigating circumstances.

By the way, police officer Maslov was also sentenced to a suspended term.