First real prison term for "Shlyakh": MP Marchenko sentenced to 2 years in prison for trading volunteer status

First real prison term for "Shlyakh": MP Marchenko sentenced to 2 years in prison for trading volunteer status

Marchenko received a sentence: 2 years of imprisonment for schemes with «Shlyakh» and the border.

Details are reported by "Court by Schemes".

The Higher Anti-Corruption Court has completed the consideration of cases No. 991/10792/23  regarding People’s Deputy Lyudmyla Marchenko and her assistant. Each of them was sentenced to 2 years of actual imprisonment.

The essence of the «scheme» and the role of the border:
Marchenko, together with her accomplice, set up a profitable «business» on the illegal departure of men abroad during martial law. The cost of services — $6000 per «client».

Connection with the border and customs:
The scheme was based on manipulations with the «Shlyakh» system, managed by Ukrtranssafety, but exit checks are carried out by border guards and customs officers.
1. Fictitious volunteering: Using controlled charitable foundations (in particular, the charitable organization «Fund for the Future of Ukraine»), the criminals prepared letters to the Kyiv Regional Military Administration. They stated that the «clients» were volunteer drivers heading to Europe for humanitarian aid (medications, child nutrition, etc.).
2. Influence on officials: Marchenko, referring to her MP status, directly «controlled» the process with the leadership of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration to speed up the issuance of exit permits.
3. «Manual control» at the border: The case recorded how one of the «volunteers» was stopped at the «Hrushiv» checkpoint due to suspicious answers. Then Marchenko intervened personally: she contacted high-ranking officials of the State Border Guard Service (likely the head of the SBGS), complained about «manifestations at customs» and demanded to let the man through.
4. Preparation for customs inspection: Marchenko’s assistant distributed detailed instructions to the «clients» on what to tell customs officers: the weight of the cargo (for example, 700 kg of baby diapers) and exactly where it was being taken to pass the control.

End of the scheme:
During the transfer of the second part of the bribe, the assistant delivered the money directly to Marchenko’s home. When NABU detectives appeared, the deputy tried to destroy the evidence — she threw $3000 over the fence to the neighboring territory. But the cameras recorded everything.

HACC decision:
- Lyudmila Marchenko: 2 years of imprisonment + ban on holding positions in government bodies for 3 years.
- Anastasiya Kolesnik (assistant): 2 years of imprisonment + ban on activities related to departure abroad for 3 years.

This is the first real prison term for a sitting MP for schemes with «Shlyakh».