The contract with MP-bribe-taker Odarchenko, who is the rector of the State Biotechnological University, should be terminated – member of the SBTU Academic Council
Kyiv • UNN
Valeriy Mykhailov, Vice-Rector for Research at SBTU, believes that the contract with convicted MP Andriy Odarchenko, who is still the rector, should be terminated after official receipt of the court decision. Odarchenko was sentenced to 8 years in prison for bribery, but the university claims they have not seen the verdict.
It is necessary to terminate the contract with the convicted for bribery People's Deputy Andriy Odarchenko, who still remains the rector of the State Biotechnological University. This opinion was expressed in an exclusive comment to UNN by Valeriy Mykhailov, Vice-Rector for Scientific Work of the SBU, member of the university's academic council.
My position is: if there is a court decision, officially it will come to the university - a court decision, the issue of terminating these relations with him will definitely be considered. This is what I can say, it just shouldn't be like that unequivocally, if you want my position
He added that he had not seen the court decision, but learned about it from media publications.
I read that something happened, but there is a head of the organization (acting rector of SBU Andriy Kudryashov - ed.) who should stimulate this issue and talk about the fact that such an issue (termination of the contract with Odarchenko - ed.) should be considered, that there is some decision
Odarchenko also still remains the head of the university's academic council despite the court's conviction, which has entered into force.
It should be noted that earlier the press service of the Appellate Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court reported that the panel of judges upheld the verdict against the current People's Deputy Andriy Odarchenko, by which he was found guilty of offering an improper advantage to the head of the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine and sentenced to 8 years in prison.
As a result of the review, the panel of judges left the appeals of the parties unsatisfied, and the HACC verdict unchanged. The decision entered into force from the moment of its pronouncement and can be appealed to the Criminal Cassation Court as part of the Supreme Court
In addition, the relevant ruling of the Appellate Chamber of the HACC was published in the Unified Register of Court Decisions.
The statement that the SBU did not see Odarchenko's verdict, who remains the rector of the university, seems very strange. After all, the court decision states a ban on him holding positions for three years. According to the law, such a verdict should have been sent to the acting rector of the State Biotechnological University, Andriy Kudryashov, so that he would initiate the issue of terminating the contract with the bribed people's deputy. And Kudryashov should have initiated the issue of terminating the contract with the convicted Odarchenko no later than three days after receiving a copy of the court decision. However, he did not do so, which suggests non-compliance with the court decision, which entails criminal liability.
The explanation for such sabotage may be that Kudryashov is a person controlled by Odarchenko, through whom the people's deputy still influences the management of the university. After all, the acting rector obviously helps the fugitive Odarchenko to continue enriching himself at the expense of budget funds allocated to the university.
Odarchenko's case
On November 21, 2023, NABU and SAPO reported the exposure of People's Deputy Andriy Odarchenko, who, according to the investigation, tried to bribe the then head of the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure, Mustafa Nayyem, with bitcoins. According to detectives, the deputy offered 50 thousand dollars in exchange for assistance in allocating funds from the Fund for the Elimination of the Consequences of Russian Aggression for the repair of the State Biotechnological University headed by Odarchenko.
The very next day, November 22, 2023, the High Anti-Corruption Court arrested Odarchenko, setting bail at UAH 15 million. The MP himself denied all charges.
On November 23, 2023, "Servant of the People" expelled MP Odarchenko from the faction. The very next day, November 24, 2023, Odarchenko was released from custody - UAH 15 million bail was paid for him, the Anti-Corruption Action Center reported.
Almost a year has passed. On September 18, 2024, the SAPO prosecutor during a court hearing stated that the deputy was probably abroad, although there was no official confirmation of this. On the same day, he did not appear at the HACC meeting and was absent from the Verkhovna Rada. Because of this, SAPO initiated the collection of bail and his announcement on the wanted list.
According to the prosecutor's office, Odarchenko could have left through the Zakarpattia region, where, according to the prosecution, he had close relations with the former head of the Regional State Administration Viktor Mykyta. Mykyta himself denied any involvement in the possible departure of the MP. Later, SAPO reported that Andriy Odarchenko fled to Romania and even applied to state bodies for asylum in that country. Later it became known that Odarchenko was hiding in Hungary.
On September 19, 2024, the HACC judge granted the prosecution's request and declared Odarchenko on the national and international wanted list. After that, the court decided to hear the case in absentia. On September 23, 2024, the HACC arrested the deputy in absentia and seized UAH 15 million bail, previously paid for him, in favor of the state.
After the MP fled abroad in September 2024, the SBU did not condemn the rector. In November, a congratulation to Odarchenko on his birthday was posted on the university's website and Facebook page, wishing him "prosperity, favor of fate, good luck, amazing opportunities, achievements and victories." Later, the post was still deleted.
On November 14, 2024, the HACC found Andriy Odarchenko guilty of committing a crime under Part 4 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (offering, promising or providing an improper advantage to an official).
On October 10, 2025, the Appellate Chamber of the HACC upheld the verdict against the MP. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison with confiscation of property and deprivation of the right to hold a number of positions for 3 years.