Judge suspected of receiving undue advantage in turn for decision in fatal road crash case (PHOTOS)
NABU and SAPO, in cooperation with the SSU in the Kirovohrad region and the Special Investigations Department of the National Police in the Kirovohrad region, exposed a judge of the Kropyvnytskyi Court of Appeal, who solicited an undue advantage for delivering a lenient verdict against the perpetrator of a fatal car accident.
According to the investigation, the judge, through an intermediary, requested USD 10,500 in exchange for changing the verdict of the first-instance court and imposing a suspended sentence on the person who caused a fatal crash. To conceal their involvement in the crime, the judge instructed the intermediary to both receive and keep the undue advantage.
However, the panel of judges of the Kropyvnytskyi Court of Appeal upheld the verdict of the first-instance court and sentenced the driver to imprisonment. Since the judge failed to fulfill his promise, most of the undue advantage was returned.
During the search of the intermediary's place, detectives discovered the rest of the illegally obtained funds in the amount of USD 450.
The judge was notified of suspicion under Part 3 of Art. 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, and his accomplice - under Part 5 of Art. 27 and Part 3 of Art. 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The investigation is ongoing.
According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered not-guilty in the commission of a crime and cannot be subject to criminal punishment until he or she is found guilty by court.
