The HCJ stopped the honourable discharge of four corrupt judges

Good news from the High Council of Justice: it terminated the honourable discharge of four corrupt judges.

Who are those judges:

• Ivan Pidhorny, a judge of the Kivertsivsky district court, who was tried for bribery for more than ten years! Although he was caught receiving money back in 2010. In November 2022, the Ivano-Frankivsk Court of Appeal confirmed with its decision that Pidhorny had committed an intentional crime, although it exempted him from serving his sentence due to the expiration of the statute of limitations: http://bit.ly/3XVS4Sn.

• Oleksiy Buran, judge of the Malinovsky district court of Odesa. The judge was going to make the “necessary” decision in a civil case on recovery of UAH 1.5 million in debt for a bribe of half a million. Buran’s case became almost the first high-profile case of NABU. When the detectives searched his house, Buran shot at them with a gun. In May 2022, the HACC found him guilty, imposing a three-year probation (due to a plea agreement): bit.ly/3XX32XF.

• Olena Horbatenko, judge of the Severodonetsk City Court. The judge was to receive USD 2,500 for a lighter sentence for the couple of drug dealers. On April 19, 2022, the HACC issued a sentence – also three-year probation, because Horbatenko also pleaded guilty: http://bit.ly/3YeYNGA.

• Oleh Vasylyuk, a judge of the Kovel city district court, convicted for a bribe of UAH 3,800. Judge Oleh Vasylyuk was arrested for taking a bribe in June 2017, but already in August of the same year, the previous High Council of Justice dismissed him — with a lifetime allowance at the expense of taxpayers. In February 2022, the Appellate Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court eventually imposed a sentence (two years of imprisonment). The decision of the new HCJ is based on this verdict: https://bit.ly/3DC8wz0.

The Supreme Council of Justice made this decision concerning the entry into force of the convictions against these persons. Previously, these persons received UAH 100,000 per month or more. Now they will not receive this considerable lifetime allowance from our taxes.

We will continue to monitor the work of the HCJ and evaluate its new solutions.