In Ukraine, in the city of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi in the Odesa region, a judge who was involved in a criminal scheme that facilitated the illegal departure of conscripted individuals abroad has been dismissed following an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP).
The judge, whose name is currently not disclosed, is preliminarily identified as Serhii Savytskyi. He became one of the figures in the investigation, which uncovered illegal activities related to mobilization evasion. Law enforcement established that Savytskyi was part of an organized group that issued fictitious decisions regarding allegedly independent child rearing, which allowed men to avoid mobilization.
Operating Scheme and Punishment
The judge made decisions without the involvement of the parties, leading to mass issuance of legal grounds for traveling abroad. For each such decision, Savytskyi received $3,500. A total of 348 unlawful decisions were made, and the overall number of such decisions from the group amounted to 1,040.
Alongside the judge, there are 5 other suspects under investigation, among whom are the head of the court, a former head, and other officials.
The NABU operation to uncover this corruption scheme lasted over a year. Currently, further investigations are underway, and the investigative bodies urge anyone with information on this matter to come forward.
Public Reaction
The community expresses outrage at such facts of corruption within the judicial system. This case once again confirms the necessity for reforms in law enforcement and strengthening the accountability of judges.
