Court refuses to appoint expert examination in corruption case of prosecutor and MP from Odesa region

The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine has refused to order an examination in the case of the former deputy head of the Izmail local prosecutor's office in Odesa region, Ivan Marakhovsky , and a member of the Odesa regional council, Ivan Boychenko, for receiving $40,000 in illegal benefits.

The defendants' lawyers requested additional handwriting examinations, Slovo i Dilo reported.

"To deny the defense counsel's motion to appoint a handwriting examination of a document in criminal proceedings... To deny the defense counsel's motion to appoint an additional forensic examination of the video recording in the criminal proceedings," the court said.

Employees of the Prosecutor General's Office, together with the Security Service of Ukraine, detained a prosecutor of the Izmail local prosecutor's office in Odesa region and a deputy of the Odesa regional council for extorting and receiving a bribe of USD 40 thousand from an entrepreneur. In return, they promised to help the businessman with his business.

Ivan Boichenko, a deputy of the Odesa Regional Council, was previously ranked among the three largest holders of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin in the amount of 5750 BTC. This rating was compiled by Bitcoin Magazine Ukraine.

Meanwhile, in September, the High Anti-Corruption Court granted permission to conduct a special investigation against former MP Oleksandr Granovsky in the case of organizing a corruption scheme worth more than UAH 90 million. The case concerns the Odesa Port Plant. The Court of Appeal overturned the decision of the investigating judge of February 23, 2024, which refused to conduct the investigation in the absence of the suspect. This opens up the possibility of completing the pre-trial investigation and referring the case to the court for consideration.

Кирило Бойко