In Ukraine, judges often fall into various scandals.
In Kyiv on the night of May 26, judge Oleksiy Tandyr was probably drunk shot down Vadym Bondarenko of the military National Guard at a roadblock. The National Guardsman died of his injuries at the scene of the tragedy, he is survived by two children, the brother and father of the fallen soldier are defending Ukraine at the front. The judge refused to take an alcohol test, which is why the court granted permission for forced collection of biological samples.
Unfortunately, this is not the first scandal involving Ukrainian judges. TSN.ua collected the most high-profile cases that happened recently.
Detention of the ex-head of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Knyazev for bribery
In May 2023, NABU exposed Chairman of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Knyazev on receiving a bribe in the amount of about 3 million dollars. Later it became known that the judge took money from the oligarch Konstantin Zhevago in order to make “the decision he needed”.
The head of the Supreme Court expressed suspicion about Knyazev
Immediately after the judge was exposed for bribery, the plenary session of the Supreme Court decided to remove Knyazev from the position of head of the court. However, due to the complex process, he will continue to work in the Supreme Court. Law enforcement officers nevertheless arrested the scandalous Knyazev, and what is significant, the investigation is still taking part of the bribe from him.
Judge of the Supreme Court with Russian citizenship
In October 2022, another scandal broke out in the Supreme Court. Judge Bohdan Lviv was found Russian citizenship and although he actively denied it, the SBU had evidence.
After a high-profile scandal, Lviv was dismissed from the staff of the Supreme Court. At that time, the head of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Knyazev commented on his decision and called it unprecedented for the judicial system, because the relevant provisions of the Constitution and the law are applied for the first time.
The judge of the Supreme Court was found to have Russian citizenship. Screenshot from the video
A collaborating judge who was waiting for Russia
In September 2022 The SBU informed about the suspicion of the judge of the Northern Court of Appeal of Kyiv. The special service received the judge’s telephone conversations in which he glorified Russia and disparaged Ukrainian defenders and the president. Also, the collaborator expected the occupation of Ukraine and frankly told his family and friends about it.
At that time, the SBU explained that even despite the suspicion, it was not possible to immediately arrest this judge, as the Supreme Council of Justice must issue a permit for this.
A scandalous judge who hid from investigators even after the verdict
In November 2022 in Ukraine detained the scandalous judge of the Brovary Court of the Kyiv region, Hanna Bilyk. According to the investigation, the suspect took bribes, passing the “necessary” verdicts. For example, she allowed those suspected of raping a minor orphan girl to be released from custody for a symbolic amount of bail. Even while under investigation, she continued to work in court.
Hanna Bilyk hid from the investigation for a year.
In the summer of 2021, the High Anti-Corruption Court sentenced Hanna Bilyk to six years in prison for bribery, and in January of this year, the Appellate Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court also issued a corresponding decision. However, because of the war, the scandalous judge hid from the law enforcement officers for a long time.
The judge refused to submit a declaration because of “religion”
The judge of the Kyiv District Administrative Court refused to submit a declaration of income for 2020, stating that it is “contrary to her religion”.
After that, the anti-corruption authorities opened criminal proceedings and the scandalous judge herself ended up on the dock.
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