Mediator in bribery case of Odesa judge served suspicion notice

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau has served Serhiy Bryndak with a notice of suspicion of inciting Judge Lyudmyla Saltan of the Kyiv District Court of Odesa to provide undue benefit to the leadership of the Ukrainian Navy.

This was reported by Slovo i Dilo.

Judge Lyudmyla Saltan was accused of taking a bribe from a citizen for a positive decision in a civil case. Later, the judge mobilized to the Navy and serves in the reserve, but the court did not suspend the case because of this.

According to the investigation, the judge learned about Bryndak from an acquaintance and approached him about her case. He offered to transfer her to a combat unit to suspend the case and promised to help her acquit. The judge agreed to his services.

On July 9, she handed Bryndak 40 thousand hryvnias as the first installment of the unlawful benefit. Bryndak then asked for the second installment, $144,000, to be transferred through a currency exchange office in Kyiv, dividing it into three parts. On August 28, the judge complied with this instruction.

On August 29, the NABU notified Bryndak of suspicion of a completed attempt to incite bribery of an official (part 2 of Article 15, part 4 of Article 27, part 4 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code).

On September 2, the High Anti-Corruption Court took Bryndak into custody with an alternative bail of UAH 4 million, and on September 4, the HACC Appeals Chamber upheld this decision.

In March 2023, Judge Liudmyla Saltan was caught up in a scandal: according to the High Council of Justice, she allegedly offered a bribe to a participant in a civil trial. The plaintiff refused and turned to the NABU. After that, she went to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but her military unit complained about her because of her drinking. In June, the HACC refused to conduct an examination in a case where a judge is accused of taking a $4,000 bribe.

In April, the HACC investigating judge set bail for Saltan at two million hryvnias. The investigation was completed on May 22, after which NABU detectives provided the case file to the defense attorneys and the suspect for review, and the case was then referred to court.

Анна Бальчінос