NABU completes investigation of ex-Kyiv court judge

NABU and SAPO have completed an investigation of the Dniprovskyi District Court of Kyiv ex-judge, who demanded and received a USD 150,000 bribe for passing an illegal ruling. On Aug. 6, 2021, the case files were disclosed for the defense. The actions of the ex-judge fall under Part 4 Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine ("Accepting an offer, promise or receiving an improper advantage by an official").

On Aug. 5 and 6, the suspect was summoned by detectives for questioning but refused to testify. Given that the investigation has gathered sufficient evidence to draw up an indictment, the Prosecutor in the case decided to disclose its files.

As previously reported, the ex-judge was caught red-handed after taking a bribe on Aug. 9, 2016.

On Sep. 6, 2016, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine sanctioned his detention and prosecution. But the suspect managed to flee the country taking advantage of his judicial immunity.

On Sep. 12, 2016, the suspect was put on the national wanted list. On Nov. 11, 2016, he was placed on Interpol's international wanted list.

In Feb. 2017, the ex-judge was detained in Moldova, while NABU requested his extradition.

In April 2021, the fugitive was kidnapped in Chisinau. His whereabouts had been unknown until July 2021, when the ex-judge emerged in a village in Vinnytsia region.

On July 30, SBU officers arrived at the scene, found the ex-judge and transported him to their headquarters in Kyiv, thus breaching the Ukrainian criminal legislation - in accordance with Part 1 Art. 210 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, an authorized official is obliged to deliver the detainee to the nearest office of a pre-trial investigation body. NABU managed to identify the vehicles used to transport the wanted ex-judge, but the SBU refused to fulfill the lawful demands of the Detectives to stop and hand over the suspect.

On Aug. 1, NABU filed a motion with the HACC to apply a measure of restraint in the form of detention against the ex-judge.

During Aug. 1-2, NABU sent two requests to the SBU and PGO for immediate delivery of the ex-judge to the National Bureau and to the HACC, which were ignored.

On Aug. 3, NABU detained the suspect at Kyiv's Feofaniia Hospital after the SBU informed the National Bureau about the suspect's whereabouts.

On Aug. 4, the High Anti-Corruption Court placed the ex-judge under 24-hour house arrest and ordered him to surrender all passports and wear an electronic surveillance device.

Due to a public outcry, we publish some snippets of declassified materials of covert investigative activities carried out by NABU and SAPO within the case.

 

According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered non-guilty in the commission of a crime and cannot be subject to criminal punishment until he or she is found guilty by court.