21 January 2026
(Kateryna Rozhkovan, court official. SCREEN SHOT: alternatyva.org)
The chief of staff of the Chornomorsk City Court of Odesa Region was served a notice of suspicion of bribery for allegedly influencing a court decision. The court imposed a pre-trial restraint on the official.
TheCenter for Public Investigations found out the details of the case, what the court decided, and what the official's declaration revealed.
According to the court's website, the case concerns Kateryna Rozhkovan, who was detained by law enforcement officers at her workplace while receiving an illegal remuneration.
As stated in the decision of the Kyiv District Court of Odesa, on January 16, 2026, the official was notified of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - taking a bribe for influencing a decision. The investigator insisted on keeping them in custody, arguing that there was a risk of absconding, possible destruction of documents, and illegal influence on witnesses.
According to the pre-trial investigation, a resident of Chornomorsk turned to the head of the court's staff on the recommendation of the ASC employees to find out how to arrange for her son's care for his grandmother, her ex-husband's mother, on a free basis. After a telephone conversation, the parties agreed to meet in person.
According to the investigation, during the meeting near the court, the official said that she could help in making a positive decision and demanded to give her USD 4 thousand, which, according to her, was to go to all persons involved in the decision.
The woman, fearing negative consequences, agreed. She handed over the documents and paid the court fee as instructed by the official. During the second meeting, the woman brought $5,200 and handed over $4,000 in a specially prepared file. The official was then detained by law enforcement.
The court partially granted the investigator's motion and ordered detention until March 10, 2026. The court also set bail in the amount of UAH 66,560. After posting the bail, she is to be released from custody with the duties determined by the court.
According to the declaration for 2024, Kateryna Rozhkovan owns five real estate objects, most of which are in her sole ownership. The largest land plot is 23,253 m², and the title was obtained in 2003. She also owns a 50.5 m² apartment (75% owned by her, 25% by her son), two properties acquired in 2018: a 2,500 m² land plot and a 169.5 m² residential building, and another 1,060 m² land plot acquired in 2020.
The main source of the official's income is her salary at the Territorial Department of the State Judicial Administration in Odesa Oblast - UAH 478,604 per year. In addition, she received UAH 7,216 from renting out property and UAH 19 in bank interest.
The family members' income is mostly social: pensions, scholarships and aid from international organizations. The declaration also lists accounts in four banks, but no amounts are specified.
Last year in Odesa, a judge and a lawyer were detained for taking bribes in exchange for favorable decisions in civil cases. They face up to eight years in prison and confiscation of property. According to media reports, the judges in question are Denys Dontsov and Olga Shentseva of the Prymorsky District Court.
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