Judge and lawyer caught on bribery in Odesa

In Odesa, a judge and a lawyer were caught taking bribes for favorable decisions in civil cases. They face up to eight years in prison and confiscation of property.

This was reported by the SBU Communication Department.

Employees of the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau exposed an Odesa judge and a lawyer who received bribes for making "necessary" decisions in courts.

According to the investigation, the defendants offered the defendant in a civil case to negotiate with a judge of one of Odesa's district courts to get a decision in his favor. The cost of such a service was $10 thousand. Part of the amount was to be paid as an advance before the case was heard, and the rest - immediately before the ruling was issued.

SBU and NABU officers documented the transfer of funds and detained the judge and the lawyer red-handed after receiving the last part of the bribe.

Both defendants were served a notice of suspicion under articles of the Criminal Code that provide for attempted incitement to bribe a public official. The issue of choosing a type of detention is currently being decided.

The investigation is ongoing to bring to justice all participants of the scheme. The offenders face up to eight years in prison with confiscation of property. The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office is providing procedural guidance.

SBI detectives also detained a former judge and two other people on suspicion of appropriating apartments of deceased Odesa residents without heirs. According to the investigation, the scheme was organized by a restaurateur couple who learned about the availability of the deceased owners' apartments through their friends.

They then used proxies to draw up fake sale and purchase agreements, dated retroactively and without notarization, and then filed civil lawsuits to recognize the ownership of the apartments. They engaged a judge of one of the district courts of Odesa region to legalize the transaction.

Анна Бальчінос