SBU: SBU detains head of political party on $160,000 bribe – promised MP status

The head of a political party was detained in Kyiv for taking a $160,000 bribe in exchange for which he promised his clients the status of a member of parliament. This was reported to by Security Service of Ukraine.

The man was detained in a Kyiv restaurant while receiving a bribe.

The name of the detainee has not been disclosed, but according to a law enforcement source LIGA.net , it is the former CEO of Ukratomenergo and head of the Garant party Valeriy Tokar.

The investigation found that the defendant traded in "passing positions" on the party list, promising clients the status of a member of parliament in the next parliamentary elections. And this is despite the fact that in October 2025, the court canceled the registration of this political force due to the detected forgery of constituent documents.

In addition, according to law enforcement, he publicly spread fakes about the Defense Forces and the socio-political situation in Ukraine. He also disseminated Kremlin narratives about the operational situation at the front and called for the disruption of mobilization.

He broadcast all of this on his personal social media pages with a total of almost half a million followers.

The SBU reported that the man was served a notice of suspicion of fraud, and during the searches, they found equipment and documents with evidence of "fraudulent actions." He is currently in custody with the right to be released on bail in the amount of UAH 6 million 720,000. The defendant may face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.

• on November 7, the National Police exposed a deputy from Vinnytsia region who fictitiously married to avoid mobilization.
• On November 11, former Deputy Minister of Social Policy was suspected of embezzling UAH 23 million during the launch of the E-Social system.