The Ukrainian court prohibits Pavelko from being re-elected to UEFA

After that, criminal proceedings continued in Ukraine, in which Mr. Pavelko was charged on November 22, 2022 with embezzlement of more than one million US dollars from the Ukrainian Football Association.

On November 29, 2022, the Ukrainian court imposed a preventive measure in the form of detention on Pavelko. Pavelko managed to get out of prison only thanks to the payment of bail in the amount of almost 300 thousand US dollars.

This case was very violently discussed in the Ukrainian and international media.

Currently, the Ukrainian court removed Mr. Pavelek from the post of UAF president. In its decision, the court stated that Pavelko cannot be re-elected to the UEFA executive committee while he is removed from the post of UAF president.

Thus, the court stated the following:

According to Clause 3 of Art. 21 of the UEFA Statute, each member of the UEFA Executive Committee, with the exception of the President and any female member of the Executive Committee, is elected by Congress and must hold the active position of President or Vice-President of a UEFA member association.

According to the information notice on the official website of UEFA, the next Congress UEFA, at which the issue of re-election of the members of the executive committee of this international football association is to be decided, will be held in Lisbon, Portugal, on 04/05/2023.

Therefore, the continuation of the embrace by Pavelka A.V. the position of president of the Ukrainian Football Association will allow the latter to continue his membership in the UEFA executive committee, which, given the authority of this position in the international football community, will allow the suspect to obstruct criminal proceedings and help him avoid criminal prosecution. In addition, the continuation of Pavelko A.V. his membership in the UEFA executive committee will assist the suspect in concealing the circumstances of the possible involvement of the Ukrainian Football Association by the UEFA funding for the implementation of a criminal scheme to embezzle the union's funds.

Also, the continued stay of the suspect in this position during the pre-trial investigation in this criminal proceeding creates the risks provided for in Clause B 6, Part 2 of Article 155 and Part 1 of Art. 157 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, as well as taking into account that the goals of the criminal proceedings, for the sake of which the suspect was removed from office, have not yet been achieved, there is an objective need to extend the period of suspension of the suspect A.V. Pavelek by two months. from the position within the pre-trial period investigation.

Thus, at the next UEFA Congress, Pavelko should not retain his position in the UEFA Executive. 

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