Lawyer from Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi tells how he bribed a judge

The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine has approved a plea agreement between the prosecutor and a lawyer who pleaded guilty to bribing Oleksandr Boyarsky, a judge of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky Court in Odesa Oblast.

According to the court' s verdict, the lawyer was sentenced to four years in prison with a one-year probationary period.

Within ten days after the verdict enters into force, the convict must also transfer about 91 thousand hryvnias to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This refers to Article 369, paragraph 3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Offer, promise or giving of an unlawful benefit to an official), which stipulates that the person being bribed holds a responsible position. The Criminal Code provides for a sentence of four to eight years in prison.

The lawyer said that in June 2022, he approached Oleksandr Boyarsky with a bribe offer for a favorable court decision in a case involving the deprivation of his mother's parental rights and the recovery of alimony. However, when the judge saw the lawyer, he told him to leave the room because he had misled him in another court case. Later, however, the lawyer came to the judge again with a bribe offer. It was about two decisions in cases to confirm the fact of independent upbringing and maintenance of a child under the age of 18 by a father without the mother's participation. The lawyer promised 300 USD each for the required judicial opinion.

In addition, the lawyer offered USD 1,000 for a positive court decision in a lawsuit for divorce and alimony. The judge replied that he would not consider the claim without the opinion of the guardianship and custody authority.

Eventually, the judges engaged an assistant to bribe the judge, who gave the judge a thousand dollars through his friend, including $600 for rulings to clarify two court decisions.

In April 2025, a case was brought to court against lawyer Serhiy Hafiychuk, who is accused of also trying to bribe Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City District Court Judge Oleksandr Boyarskyi.

Judge Oleksandr Boyarskyi of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City District Court was at the center of a corruption scandal in 2023, when he was suspected of taking a bribe to help a man evade mobilization.

On January 12, the High Council of Justice granted permission to keep the judge in custody.

On January 16, 2024, the High Anti-Corruption Court arrested the judge for two months with the possibility of bail in excess of UAH 1 million.

According to the investigation, in December 2023, Boyarsky took $1,500 for making a decision that would allow the father to officially formalize the child's residence with him. Such a document makes it possible to avoid mobilization and go abroad with the child.

Кирило Бойко