Bribery scandal: another former court head detained

That is according to a statement from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) shared on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

"On December 30, the investigating judge of the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) granted the request of the NABU detectives, approved by the SAPO prosecutor, and applied a preventive measure in the form of detention with the alternative of a 30,280,000 UAH bail to the former head of the Commercial Court of Appeal of one of the regions," the statement reads.

The duration of the preventive measure is until February 27, 2025, inclusive. The court decided to take the suspect into custody in the courtroom.

Earlier this month, SAPO and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) uncovered a scheme involving the former court head and another judge who allegedly demanded a one million dollar bribe from a representative of a private company. In exchange, they promised favorable rulings in cases handled by one of the Commercial Courts of Appeal.

Investigators have since identified another accomplice in the scheme — a former head of the same Commercial Courts of Appeal.

All individuals involved face charges under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 3 of Article 369-2 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code.

As reported by Ukrinform, the HACC chose a preventive measure in the form of arrest with the possibility of a 12 million UAH bail for the former head of the Lviv Regional Commercial Court, who was caught accepting a one million dollar bribe.