NABU did not identify the suspect by name, but based on the details of the case, it appears to refer to Mykola Tyshchenko, a former lawmaker from the Servant of the People party who is now a member of the Restoration of Ukraine parliamentary group.
According to investigators, in August 2023 the lawmaker, under the guise of combating so-called call centers, allegedly demanded more than $1 million in bribes from a person he believed was involved in their operations.
In return, NABU said, he promised to use his authority to interfere in the activities of some call centers in the person's interest while allowing others to continue operating. Investigators said Tyshchenko ultimately did not receive the bribe.
Investigators also allege that the lawmaker laundered Hr 12.6 million ($300,000) in illicit funds by arranging a fictitious gift agreement with his former wife.
The investigation found that she had no lawful income to make such a gift and that no actual transfer of funds took place.
Tyshchenko later declared the funds as income in his annual asset declaration. According to investigators, he knowingly submitted false information in the declaration.
The lawmaker's actions were classified under Articles 369(4), 209(2), and 366-2(2) of Ukraine's Criminal Code.
Other cases involving Tyshchenko
On June 20, 2023, a group of men in military uniforms and balaclavas assaulted former volunteer fighter and Kraken special unit serviceman Dmytro Pavlov in the city of Dnipro.
Video footage showed the men approaching Pavlov while he was walking with a baby in a stroller on Cologne Boulevard, surrounding him and throwing him to the ground. One of the attackers was also seen searching his bag. Social media users claimed the incident followed an argument between Pavlov and Tyshchenko and his security detail.
On June 21, Tyshchenko described the incident as a provocation. He also claimed he had no security detail and said the victim was no longer serving in the military. He accused Pavlov of involvement with fraudulent call centers and of taking part in a confrontation with police during searches of so-called bot farms.
On June 25, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) said Tyshchenko had been formally charged with the unlawful deprivation of liberty of the victim under Article 146(2) of Ukraine's Criminal Code.
On Dec. 17, 2024, the SBI said it had referred Tyshchenko's case over the beating of a combat veteran in Dnipro to court. Investigators concluded that the assault had been committed by a group acting in prior conspiracy and involved the use of physical force and special equipment.
Separately, in 2023, journalists from Bihus.Info reported that Serhii Vakalchuk, the former director of one of Tyshchenko's restaurants, had acquired assets worth more than $1 million during Russia's full-scale invasion.
In 2024, journalist Oleh Novikov reported that NABU detectives were investigating Tyshchenko over alleged illicit enrichment totaling more than Hr 30 million ($715,000) and false asset declarations.