Odesa judge's house and AUDI confiscated for bribery

The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine has found a judge of the Kyiv District Court of Odesa guilty of taking a bribe.

According to the HACC press service, she was sentenced to 6 years' imprisonment with disqualification to hold public office for 3 years.

The court also partially confiscated her privately owned property: a residential building with a total area of 451.4 square meters in Odesa region and an AUDI Q8 car. The term of imprisonment is calculated from the moment of actual detention.

However, the verdict may be appealed within thirty days from the date of its pronouncement by filing an appeal through the High Anti-Corruption Court to the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court.

Earlier, Slidstvo INFO reported that Judge Lyudmyla Saltan of the Kyiv District Court of Odesa, who was suspended from justice for allegedly extorting a bribe, tried to avoid responsibility by mobilizing into the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Liudmyla Saltan told the plaintiff about the bribe right in her office. The judge emphasized that the money should be brought as soon as possible, as she would soon be going on vacation. The plaintiff did not want to bribe the judge and filed a complaint with the NABU.

In June, the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) refused to order an expert examination in the case of judge Lyudmyla Saltan of the Kyiv District Court of Odesa, who is accused of taking a $4,000 bribe.

On March 29, 2023, the judge was exposed by NABU detectives jointly with the SBU immediately after she received the money. According to the investigation, the judge received $4,000 for making a positive decision in favor of a citizen in a civil case.

On April 13, the HACC investigating judge, at the request of NABU detectives, agreed upon by the SAPO prosecutor, imposed a bail of two million hryvnias on the judge.

The investigation was completed on May 22. The NABU detectives were instructed to open the case file to the defense, and after the defense lawyers and the suspect had reviewed the case file, the case was sent to court.

In September, the court questioned witnesses in the Saltan case. Prosecutors read out the correspondence between the judge and the plaintiff, where they agreed on a meeting place to transfer the money. It shows that the judge demanded not 4, but 5 thousand dollars. Baranytskyi, according to the prosecution, brought part of the amount to the specified meeting place. The money was transferred in the judge's own car, an Audi Q8.

Кирило Бойко