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Ukraine’s High Council of Justice has submitted a motion to dismiss Judge Volodymyr Keleberda, who once ruled in favor of oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky in the high-profile case concerning the nationalization of PrivatBank.
The Third Disciplinary Chamber of the Council found Keleberda in violation of judicial ethics and temporarily suspended him from the bench pending final dismissal. The complaint was initiated by council member Roman Maselko.
According to Slidstvo.Info, Keleberda, who served as deputy to controversial Kyiv court head Pavlo Vovk, has long faced scrutiny over his role in politically sensitive rulings and alleged asset concealment. Among his most controversial decisions was a 2019 ruling that deemed the 2016 nationalization of PrivatBank illegal — a major victory for Kolomoisky, the bank’s former co-owner. At the time, Kolomoisky was seeking either the return of the bank or compensation amounting to 2 billion hryvnias (approximately $50 million).
The oligarch, along with his business associate Hennadiy Boholiubov, has been the subject of fraud and money laundering investigations both in Ukraine and internationally. The Kolomoisky case featured prominently in the investigative documentary “Break the Bank” by Slidstvo.Info.
Keleberda’s name also surfaced in relation to the infamous "Vovk tapes" scandal, when Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Prosecutor General’s Office raided the Kyiv District Administrative Court in 2019. Secret recordings revealed alleged attempts by court leadership to manipulate judicial appointments and decisions.
According to Bihus.Info, Keleberda engaged in a sham divorce to conceal ownership of a suburban house. Though officially no longer married, journalists reported that he continued to reside with his ex-wife. The undeclared property, omitted from his 2015 asset disclosure, was registered under her name.
His most recent asset declaration for 2024 lists use of two apartments in Kyiv and a third in Zhytomyr region under his wife's ownership. Keleberda also drives a 2019 Tesla Model 3 and reported a salary of nearly 1.9 million hryvnias (about $45,000) from the now-dissolved court. His declared savings include $23,000 in cash and 775,000 hryvnias (about $18,600).
Keleberda began his judicial career in 2005 and transferred to the Kyiv District Administrative Court in 2010. During the tenure of Pavlo Vovk, who headed the court for over a decade, its judges issued several rulings that drew public outrage — including a 2013 decision that enabled security forces to dismantle Maidan protest barricades, leading to violent dispersals.
The final decision on Keleberda’s dismissal now rests with the full High Council of Justice. If approved, it would mark another step in Ukraine’s efforts to reform its judiciary and hold judges accountable for misconduct.
