The former mayor of Rakhiv (Zakarpattia region), who spent nearly three years on an international wanted list and was detained twice in EU countries, has been extradited to Ukraine from Romania, the Prosecutor General's Office said.
"On Sept 10, 2026, he was handed over to the Ukrainian side at the Porubne border crossing on the Ukrainian-Romanian border. The extradition was carried out through cooperation between the Prosecutor General's Office, the Zakarpattia regional prosecutor's office, and Romania's competent authorities," the prosecutor's office said on Telegram Tuesday.
After being brought to Ukraine, the court ordered the suspect held in custody, with an alternative bail option of nearly UAH 333,000, according to the prosecutor's office.
"Prosecutors consider this bail amount insufficient, given that the man previously evaded justice. The court's ruling on the bail amount will therefore be appealed," the prosecutor's office said.
The former mayor was detained in the Czech Republic in late 2025 and barred from leaving the country, according to the prosecutor's office. He later turned up in Romania, where he was detained again.
The former official may be involved in inflating the cost of work during the construction of a rehabilitation and wellness center, according to the investigation. "Documents show the work was completed in full, but an expert review found the actual scope and cost of the work performed did not match what was declared," the prosecutor's office said.
The former official has been notified in absentia of suspicion of embezzling another's property through abuse of office, committed by a group of people acting in prior conspiracy, and of official forgery, under Part 4, Article 191 and Part 1, Article 366 of Ukraine's Criminal Code.
