Three former court heads charged in $1M bribe case - NABU

This was reported by the Bureau’s press service, Ukrinform saw.

The case concerns a million U.S. dollars that the businessman was told to provide in exchange for the passing of the relevant court judgments in cases heard by the Western Commercial Court of Appeals, as well as a promise to prevent the assassination plotted by his opponents in the trial.

The Bureau concluded that the circle of suspects in the said case has expanded to three people.

Two other former heads of the Commercial Court in Lviv Region were formally charged on December 9.

As reported, on December 5, the NABU wrote that the former head of the Lviv Regional Commercial Court and the then acting head of the court promised to ensure the passing of certain judgments in court cases that were being heard by one of the appellate commercial courts.

NABU and the Special Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Office documented the transfer of part of the illegal benefit in the amount of $75,000.

On December 12, the High Council of Justice agreed to allow custody remand for then acting judge of the Lviv Regional Commercial Court, Vasyl Artymovych.

The High Anti-Corruption Court also ruled to suspend him from administering justice until February 9, 2025, in the view of criminal charges.

On December 12, Vasyl Artymovych, suspected of extorting $1 million, was dismissed from his post as head of the Lviv Regional Commercial Court at his own submission.

On December 23, the High Court of Justice of Ukraine ruled to arrest another suspect, retired judge from the Lviv Regional Commercial Court, Mykhailo Yurkevych, setting bail at UAH 12 million.

Prior to that, the High Council of Justice consented to having Yurkevych remanded in custody.