$10,000 for a high-rise block: an organised gang has been arrested in Zakarpattia for attempting to bribe a local court
The perpetrators handed over 10,000 US dollars in an attempt to overturn the ban on the construction of a residential complex.
Photo: State Bureau of Investigations
Two people have been arrested in the Zakarpattia region for attempting to use corrupt means to resume the stalled construction of a high-rise building, according to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine.
As the investigation established, a construction company was building a new residential complex; however, following a legal action brought by residents of neighbouring buildings, the court ordered a halt to the works. In an attempt to circumvent the lawful ban, the company’s director, together with the husband of the landowner, enlisted a judge from the Transcarpathian Court of Appeal—with whom one of them was on friendly terms—to act as an intermediary.
During a number of meetings in Uzhhorod, the individuals involved agreed on the sum and handed over 10,000 US dollars via an intermediary. The money was intended for a judge at the city and district court in exchange for overturning the ruling prohibiting the construction.
Both suspects have been detained in accordance with Article 208 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine. They have been formally notified that they are suspected of an offence under Part 3 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (providing an unlawful benefit to a public official by a group of persons acting in collusion). A pre-trial investigation is ongoing to bring all those involved in the corruption scheme to justice.
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