Odesa Lawyer Faces 8 Years for Extorting $5,000 to Influence Judge

In Odesa, a lawyer faces up to 8 years in prison for extortion in exchange for a promise to influence a judge's decision in a criminal case.

According to the press service of the National Police in Odesa region, law enforcement officers detained a lawyer who demanded $5,000 from the mother of his client to influence the judge's decision. In exchange for this money, he promised to ensure that her son, who is accused of illegal sale of ammunition, would not be imprisoned.

If the woman refused to pay, the lawyer warned that her son would face three to seven years in prison. Law enforcement officers detained the suspect while he was receiving the money, and the money was seized as material evidence.

Based on the collected materials, law enforcement officers notified the lawyer of suspicion under Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - abuse of influence combined with extortion of undue advantage. If proven guilty, the lawyer faces up to eight years in prison with confiscation of property.

The issue of choosing a preventive measure is currently being decided.

Earlier, Intent wrote that the lawyer who transferred money to Judge Ilya Lonsky of the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa made a deal with the investigation and pleaded guilty. The HACC approved a plea agreement in relation to lawyer Yevhen Berestovyi. Earlier, HACCU paused the hearing of the case of judge of the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa Ilya Lonskyi, who is suspected of bribery. The reason is the mobilization of the judge to the Armed Forces.

Meanwhile, the Disciplinary Chamber is demanding the dismissal of judge Lyudmyla Saltan of the Kyiv District Court of Odesa, who was removed from the bench for extortion. After the bribery scandal, Saltan was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, her military unit complained about her drinking.

Ірина Глухова