The case of a bribe-taking judge from Odesa who mobilized to the Armed Forces: HACC approved agreement with lawyer

The lawyer who transferred money for judge of the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa Ilya Lonskyi made a deal with the investigation and pleaded guilty. The HACC approved the plea agreement in respect of lawyer Yevhen Berestovyi.

This became known from the verdict of the High Anti-Corruption Court.

"To approve the plea agreement concluded between the SAPO prosecutor and the accused in the criminal proceedings. To find him guilty of committing crimes under part three of Article 15, part three of Article 369, part two of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," the HACC decision reads.

According to the case file, in May-June 2023, the lawyer received $2000 from a serviceman, which he was supposed to give to a judge of the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa. The judge planned to transfer part of the money to another judge to make a favorable decision in an administrative case and keep the rest for himself. However, this corruption scheme was exposed by the NABU, which prevented its implementation.

In July , the HACC suspended the hearing of the case of Ilya Lonsky, a judge of the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa, who is suspected of bribery. The reason was the judge's mobilization to the Armed Forces.

After the case against Lonsky was separated into a separate proceeding, on September 4, lawyer Berestovoy entered into a plea deal with the prosecutor, admitting his guilt. He pledged to give incriminating testimony against Lonsky in the future.

In turn, the court released the lawyer from a four-year prison sentence. Instead, he was placed on probation for two years.

As a reminder, on August 4, 2023, the NABU and the SAPO notified the judge of the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa of suspicion of attempted bribery of another judge of the same court for making a positive decision in a case of an administrative offense under Art. 130 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (driving vehicles by persons under the influence of alcohol or drugs), as well as obtaining part of the bribe by deception.

On August 10, 2023, the High Council of Justice granted consent to the detention of Judge Ilya Lonsky of the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa.

Ірина Глухова