08 November 2026, 16:37
A professor at Odessa University was acquitted in a bribery case
Ця стаття також доступна українською
PHOTO: osau.edu.ua
In Odesa, the Primorsky District Court acquitted a former professor at the Agricultural University in a bribery case. The evidence presented by the prosecution was deemed inadmissible and irrelevant.
This is stated in the verdict of the Primorsky District Court of Odessa.
The former professor was found not guilty and fully acquitted due to a lack of evidence proving the commission of a criminal offense. The seizure of the defendant’s property and items confiscated during the search were lifted, and the court ordered their return to the owner.
According to law enforcement, in July 2013, an assistant professor in the Department of Finance at Odesa State Agrarian University allegedly received several bribes totaling 1,100 hryvnias from students and university staff. In total, he was charged with five counts of receiving unlawful benefits (ranging from 200 to 400 hryvnias) in exchange for assistance in passing exams and tests in various academic disciplines.
See also:In Mykolaiv Oblast, an educator was detained for taking a bribe at a Ministry of Internal Affairs service center
The defendant was detained in his office on July 10, 2013. At that time, cash and personal belongings were seized from him.
During the trial, the prosecution insisted on the teacher’s guilt, but the defense denied the allegation of extortion and highlighted gross procedural violations.
After reviewing the case materials, the court determined that the law enforcement agencies’ key evidence did not meet legal requirements. In particular, the audio and video surveillance recordings were deemed inadmissible due to procedural violations in their collection. Furthermore, the recordings were unclear and did not allow for the identification of individuals.
The main witnesses—the students who had filed complaints alleging bribery—never appeared in court throughout the years of the proceedings.
The court noted that the 1,100 hryvnias that were seized were not marked. At the same time, investigators failed to monitor the transfer of the money, making it impossible to prove that it constituted an unlawful benefit.
