In Odesa, the case of a lawyer who tried to profit from both the government and his client has been referred to court

In the Odesa region, a case involving a lawyer appointed by the state to provide free legal aid has been referred to court.

According to the press service of the State Bureau of Investigations, despite the fact that his work was already being paid for by the state, he demanded $3,000 from his client, promising to secure a suspended sentence through his alleged connections with a judge.

In addition, the lawyer demanded a separate fee for the defense itself. DBI officers detained him after he received part of the agreed-upon sum. He is currently under round-the-clock house arrest. He will be tried for abuse of influence. The penalties under the charges carry sentences of up to 8 years and up to 5 years of imprisonment, respectively.

Earlier, the Primorsky District Court of Odesa acquitted a former chief veterinary doctor at a border inspection point who had been accused of accepting a bribe.

 Previously, the Kyiv District Court of Odesaacquittedthe heads of two companies who were accused of inflating the cost of transporting equipment for substations and thereby misappropriating budget funds.

The Primorsky District Court of Odesa approved a plea agreement between the prosecutor andSerhiy Melnyk, head of the Department for Consumer Protection and Control of Regulated Prices at the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection in the Odesa region, under which the official admitted to accepting a bribe.

Earlier in Odesa, a court refused to approvea plea agreement betweenthe prosecutor’s office and a former police officer accused of justifying Russian aggression. Although the man pleaded guilty and agreed to transfer funds to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the court deemed the proposed sentence too lenient.

In May 2026, a plea agreement was reached between the prosecutor and the defendant. The man fully admitted his guilt, expressed remorse, and agreed to cooperate withthe investigation. The parties asked the court to impose a probationary period.

Кирило Бойко