Servant of the People MP Kuzmynykh detained in bribery case over tenders for medical equipment

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has detained Ukrainian MP Serhiy Kuzmynykh of the Servant of the People faction in connection with a case involving the receipt of a bribe for helping private companies win tenders for the supply of medical equipment in Zhytomyr Oblast.

This was reported by the press service of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine (SAPO).

SAPO has not officially named the detainee, but sources from RBC-Ukraine and Ukrainska Pravda report that it is indeed Kuzmynykh. The grounds for the detention were the MP’s repeated failures to appear at court hearings.

“A sitting member of the Ukrainian parliament has been detained, accused of receiving improper benefit for assisting private companies in winning tenders for the supply of medical equipment in Zhytomyr Oblast,” SAPO said in a statement.

The detainee was taken to a temporary detention facility. His most recent failure to appear in court was explained by a work trip to Spain. A hearing on the SAPO prosecutor’s motion to change the preventive measure has been scheduled for June 29.

According to investigators, in January 2022 the MP received, through an intermediary, 558,000 hryvnias (approximately €11,000) in improper benefit — 30% of the value of a contract for the supply of an ultrasound diagnostic system to a municipal hospital in Zhytomyr. The money, investigators allege, was intended as payment for influencing officials at the medical institution to ensure a private company’s victory in the tender.

Investigators also believe that the MP promised, in exchange for similar remuneration, to facilitate the conclusion of two further contracts — for the supply of MRI and laparoscopic equipment with a combined value of more than 38 million hryvnias (approximately €751,000).

The accused’s actions have been classified under Part 2 of Article 369-2 (“Abuse of influence”) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The indictment was submitted to court back in 2022, but proceedings have dragged on due to the MP’s repeated failure to appear at hearings. In particular, he did not appear in court on October 29, 2025, or on March 30, April 1, or June 22, 2026. The court imposed financial penalties for two of the absences. The accused explained some of the missed hearings by citing official trips abroad.

SAPO noted that, in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent until their guilt has been proven in the manner prescribed by law and confirmed by a court verdict.