19 September 2026, 10:42
In the Odesa region, a lawyer was fined for influencing a judge and a prosecutor
Ця стаття також доступна українською
PHOTO: State Bureau of Investigation
In Kodym, a local attorney—who had been appointed by the state to provide free legal aid to the defendant—attempted to bribe a judge and a prosecutor. The court found him guilty and imposed a fine.
This is stated in the verdict of the Kodym District Court of Odesa Oblast.
According to the investigation, the court-appointed lawyer was defending a man in a criminal case involving the illegal smuggling of a person subject to military service across the border. In January 2026, he decided to accept money from an acquaintance of the defendant—a woman who is also a lawyer and had been advising him on the case.
On February 17, 2026, near the building of the Kodymsky District Court, the attorney met with this woman and told her that, thanks to his connections with court and prosecutor’s office staff, he could facilitate a swift trial and secure a sentence for his client consisting of imprisonment with a suspended sentence. For this, he demanded $3,000.
On February 20, the woman transferred 4,300 hryvnias to the lawyer’s account, ostensibly for legal services, after which he confirmed his intention to influence the judge and the prosecutor.
On February 24, 2026, while sitting in a car near the courthouse, the attorney received the first installment from the woman—$2,000, which at that time amounted to 86,596 hryvnias. The woman was to transfer the remaining amount—$1,000—after the court issued the desired ruling.
In court, the attorney fully admitted his guilt and expressed remorse. He also stated that he had returned the funds he had received to the owner. The court took into account his sincere remorse, lack of prior convictions, family circumstances, and the defendant’s health condition.
As a result, the court found the attorney guilty of receiving an unlawful benefit for influencing the decision of a person authorized to perform state functions, under Part 2 of Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. He was fined 87,000 hryvnias.
