Million-dollar salary and real estate in the capital: what kind of wealth is declared by VSP member Olga Popikova

Apartments in Kyiv received as a gift or at unrealistic prices, a luxurious family “dacha” outside the city, millions in income and questionable decisions in cases involving fellow judges.

The property status and activities of Olga Popikova, a member of the High Council of Justice, attracted the attention of investigators. Therefore, journalists carefully examined the background of this servant of Themis and talked directly with her to clarify all the issues.

So, how does Judge Popikova herself explain the discrepancies in housing prices in her declarations? Where does she get the funds for a wealthy life, and what does this have to do with trips to the Russian Federation and the probable “mutual responsibility” of the judge? Details are in Olga Levitskaya’s video.

In 2023, an updated list of members of the High Council of Justice was published. Among the ranks of the Supreme Court is Olga Popikova, a judge with more than 20 years of experience in the field of law. Olga began her judicial career at the Economic Court of the Kyiv Region. During July 2008 to October 2011 and from September 2018 to June 2019, she worked as a judge of the Kyiv Economic Court of Appeal. For the next eight years she was a judge at the Supreme Economic Court of Ukraine.

From 2019 to the present, Olga Popikova has been a judge of the Northern Economic Court of Appeal. Currently he holds the position of member of the High Council of Justice and is a member of the Third Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice.

What is known about the servant Themis?

In the media you can find conflicting information about Popikov, which concerns possible “frauds” with property. According to her, back in 2001, the judge became the owner of an apartment in the center of Kyiv for only 107 thousand hryvnia. And already in 2010, she sold this property for 14 (1) times more expensive - more than one and a half million hryvnia, which is equivalent to 200 thousand dollars at the then exchange rate.

According to the publication “Slovo i dilo”, in 2010 apartments with an area of ​​50 sq. m in Kyiv cost an average of 90,000 US dollars or 721,000 UAH. That is, half the price that Popikova sold.

And in 2003, the judge’s father actually purchased a property with an area of ​​83 square meters in the heart of the capital for 15,300 UAH. However, this cost did not correspond to the average market price of apartments in Kyiv in 2003. In 2019, Olga Vladimirovna acquired ownership of this apartment under a gift agreement.

It is noteworthy that in her electronic declarations Olga Popikova did not indicate the cost of the apartment received, which allegedly violated the requirements of anti-corruption legislation.

According to the media, according to the donation agreement, the apartment was valued at 1,700 UAH by Popikova and her father. However, the market value of apartments with a similar location in July 2019 averaged $180,000.

“Such an undervaluation may indicate an attempt to evade taxes,” the journalist suggests.

In addition, from 2006 to 2010, Popikova’s parents became owners of real estate with a total value of just over a million hryvnia. Regarding the sources of funds for the purchase of the above-mentioned real estate, the judge indicated funds from the sale of real estate by the parents, but their total amount reaches only half of the funds spent on the purchase. According to the State Register of Individual Taxpayers, her father’s income from 1998 to 2010 was 157 thousand hryvnia, and her mother’s income was 240 thousand hryvnia.

And during a full-scale war, the judge’s father, Vladimir Popikov, bought an apartment in Kyiv for 55.5 million UAH. By a strange coincidence, in the 2020 declaration, Olga transferred a similar amount to someone under a gift agreement.

The StopCor team met with Judge Popikova to ask her a question about the said property.

The first question concerned the latest acquisition - an apartment in the center of the capital worth UAH 5.5 million.

“I’ll tell you what I didn’t buy myself. This was a purely family issue. Because my father bought me an apartment in this building back in 2001. And then, when I sold this apartment, it was already officially my money, I declared it. , since the apartment was bought in my name. But in fact it was my father's money.

The next question is about the underestimated value of the apartment purchased by Olga’s father in 2003 and subsequently transferred to his daughter.

“My father made me a gift agreement for this apartment. When he bought it in 2003, it was enough to indicate the book value. Under a gift agreement from relatives, no duty is paid. And there is no requirement to make an assessment. That is, any price is set – five hryvnia and that’s it,” says Popikova.

Journalists also asked about the price of 15 thousand hryvnia for this apartment, but Olga assures that she has not heard of such a thing. But the judge explained the sale of an apartment purchased in 2001 at an inflated price and the availability of funds for the property as follows.

“Firstly, funds were invested there, repairs were made. My father was engaged in business in the Rivne region. Officially, he was the sole owner of the enterprise, which he closed in 2003. My parents live in Kyiv, and everything that was purchased from them is in Rivne. That is, the father had the right to dispose of these funds,” says Olga.

The StopCora film crew also visited the Popikovs’ country “dacha”.

This house, registered to the judge’s mother, was purchased in 2006 for 164 thousand hryvnia, which is equivalent to 32 thousand dollars. The two-story “villa” is located in the suburbs of the capital, in a closed garden community. However, according to real estate experts, by that time she could not guard so much.

“I’ll tell you right away that it was impossible to buy such a house for 30 thousand at that time. That is, it cost about ten times more then,” comments realtor Natalya Savchenko.

Let us note that Olga Popikova was seconded to the Supreme Court on January 11, 2023 for a period of four years, having previously received a salary of almost 150 thousand from the Northern Economic Court of Appeal, which continues to be her main place of work. Her annual salary at the High Council of Justice is 2 million 483 thousand hryvnia.

How did Olga manage to distinguish herself in this position?

According to the analytics of the De Jure Foundation, from November 2023 to May 2024, this member ensured the consideration of 347 and the opening of the largest number of cases among the members of the Supreme Court of Justice, elected under the quota of the congress of judges.

“In cases where Popikova A.V. was the rapporteur, the largest number of decisions were made to refuse to hold judges accountable and, in general, the largest number of decisions on the merits of the case. 3 judges were brought to justice (one warning and two severe reprimands with deprivation of additional payments to their official salary),” the material says.

In particular, it was under the auspices of Olga that Euromaidan judge Natalya Cherednichenko was sent into “honorable” retirement.

Also, as noted in the fund, Cherednichenko considered a case in which her brother was a party, and satisfied his claim. In addition, Popikova voted against the dismissal of Judge Usatov, who committed an accident in 2018 while intoxicated. What does Olga herself say about this?

“I remember this case, we considered it collectively. Because it is a collegial body. I'll tell you that I was very hesitant. Regarding Usatii, I don’t really care about this, but there was a balance, because there really are no questions about the misconduct regarding the consequences of dismissal. I remember that my colleagues and I discussed this issue for a very long time and took many factors into account,” explains the VSP member.

And one more remarkable nuance.

According to the website “rezzonans.in.ua”, several members of the VSP visited the aggressor country before the start of a full-scale war.

As it became known from the origins of personal data in Russia, at least three members of the High Council of Justice, before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, visited the territory of Russia, where they were registered at their place of temporary residence. Among them is judge Olga Popikova, who was registered once in Petrozavodsk.

So, we will continue to carefully monitor the condition, lifestyle and activities of VSP members. To be continued.