Judge suspected of accepting bribe for "proper" decision (PHOTO)
NABU and SAPO, jointly with the Strategic Investigation Department of the National Police in the Kirovohrad region, have exposed a Kirovohrad region district court judge and his accomplice for receiving an unlawful benefit.
According to the investigation, in December 2025, the judge received for consideration a case involving drunk driving (Part 1, Article 130 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses).
To avoid responsibility, the driver approached the local government deputy head, who had a friendly relationship with the judge. The official offered to settle the matter for money and act as an intermediary in its transfer.
Later, following the judge’s instructions, the driver provided an explanation intended to create the appearance that no offense had been committed — claiming that the police had stopped him not for driving while intoxicated, but for having his low-beam headlights turned off. As a result, the judge closed the case.
After that, the accomplice received the agreed bribe, passed part of it to the judge, and kept the rest for himself.
Legal qualification: Part 5, Atticle 27, Part 3, Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
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.
