Judge recused in case of ex-head of Mykolaiv MSEC

On Tuesday, March 24, the Central District Court of Mykolaiv held a regular hearing in the case of Vira Belyakova. However, instead of considering the case on the merits, the prosecution initiated a change in the composition of the court.

This was reported by Nikcenter.

During the session in the Central District Court of Mykolaiv, the prosecutor of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office of the Southern Region, Mykhailo Lys, filed a motion to recuse judge Volodymyr Aleynikov. The prosecution insists that the judge's statements during the hearing indicate his bias against the defendant, which contradicts the norms of judicial independence.

The situation is particularly acute as Belyakova has already entered into a plea agreement with the prosecutor. As part of this agreement, she transferred UAH 4.7 million for the needs of a military unit. The prosecutor agreed to a sentence of five years' imprisonment with a probationary period, but the parties disagree on the terms: defense lawyer Vyacheslav Gribonos asks the court to set a minimum probationary period of only one year.

As a reminder, Vera Belyakova is accused of assisting a conscript in obtaining a fictitious disability to defer conscription, as well as of making false declarations. During the searches in the fall of 2024, more than $450,000 in cash and a collection of jewelry hidden at different addresses were seized from her.

Law enforcement officers also found that the former official's son is a holder of a Russian passport. Despite the defense's attempts to lift the seizure of the seized valuables, the judge had previously denied the motion. Currently, the motion for recusal has been submitted to the court's staff, and the date of the next hearing remains unknown.

Катерина Глушко