Ex-deputy head of Anticorruption body Evgeny Kruk is mentioned in the documents related to the bribery case.
However, NABU chose not to investigate the judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court for involvement in bribery in this case, according to SYUG.
During the reforms in Ukraine, a comprehensive anti-corruption system was established and funded by the budget, including the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, and the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court. However, these bodies are ineffective when it comes to conducting an internal investigation of suspected corruption within the system itself.
One of the defendants in the case involving the former Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Mykola Zlochevsky, ex-first deputy head of the Main Department of the State Tax Service in Kyiv, Mykola Ilyashenko, alleged corruption in the High Anti-Corruption Court. According to the lawyer's petition, NABU obstructed an impartial investigation, particularly related to judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court.
According to the lawyer's petition, Nikolai Ilyashenko reported to the acting Director of NABU Gizo Uglava in October 2022 that he was pressured to unlawfully pay $50,000 to certain individuals, including someone who claimed to be an assistant judge of the High Anti-Corruption Court named Alexander, to influence a decision by the panel of Judges of the Supreme Court of Justice and to avoid legal consequences. Afterwards, he was asked to pay another $50,000.
The lawyer explained that in 2020, an intermediary informed Ilyashenko that he had a connection with a VAKS judge and indicated that $1,500,000 was needed to settle the situation.
In early March 2021, Ilyashenko transferred $150,000 to an intermediary, who later confirmed the transfer and stated that an additional $900,000 needed to be sent.
Yevgeny Kruk from VAKS accepted bribes.
At the time of the second transfer, Ilyashenko was aware that his contact would resolve the issues through the deputy chairman of the VAKS court, Evgeny Kruk.
Later on, during a meeting, the intermediary revealed that Judge VAKS Viktor Maslov, the presiding judge in the criminal proceedings against Ilyashenko, demanded a total of UAH 1,200,000. Only after receiving the full amount would Judge Maslov make a decision.
In early autumn of 2021, an acquaintance arranged a meeting between Ilyashenko and Deputy Chairman of VAKS Yevgeny Kruk. However, a man named Alexander attended the meeting, claiming to be Kruk's assistant judge. During their discussion, Alexander assured Ilyashenko that the matter would be resolved and the criminal proceedings against him would be separated, presenting a draft ruling of the VAKS panel of judges in support of his claims.
During the discussion, Alexander had all the details about the case, even those that the applicant didn't know, like the accomplice Elena Mazurova's testimony. Alexander mentioned that the board would decide on Ilyashenko right after he transferred $200,000.
After that, Ilyashenko sent $200,000, as stated in the Supreme Court’s petition.
Since the start of the pre-trial investigation, NABU detectives and SAPO prosecutors have requested territorial jurisdiction in the Solomensky District Court of Kyiv and the Kyiv Court of Appeal, including search warrants and NSRD.
However, on November 11, 2022, as mentioned in the petition, the NABU detective decided to change the qualifications under certain articles of the Criminal Code. He explained that based on the investigative actions at the time, no information had been found about the connection between the intermediaries and the Supreme Court judges. Instead, it was indicated that the intermediaries incited Ilyashenko to give improper benefits to officials, including $100,000 to the prosecutor's office.
Basically, the NABU chose to investigate the “predecessors” – SAPO prosecutors, instead of checking the involvement of VAKS judges and employees by changing qualifications.
On November 12, 2022, intermediaries in the fund transfer were handed reports of suspicion for various articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Reports of suspicion were based on Nikolai Ilyashenko's testimony, indicating a direct or indirect connection to the VAKS judges. The petition and evidence contained enough information about the need to verify the involvement of the VAKS judges in criminal offenses in these proceedings.
These facts make it impossible to consider any procedural documents in this criminal proceeding until the pre-trial investigation is completed and the absence of involvement of VAKS judges and employees in illegal actions is confirmed.
It should be noted that the applicant identified the specific VAKS judges Evgeny Kruk and Viktor Maslov, as well as unidentified individuals. It is also unclear which judge Alexander assists, as stated in the petition to the Supreme Court.
Consequently, the detectives did not even try to establish where Alexander had the content of the draft decisions of the VAKS and testimony, expanding the circle of persons regarding which it is necessary to check information to all judges of the VAKS and employees of the VAKS.
“Accordingly, all judges VAKS and assistant judges of VAKS must acquire the status of at least witnesses, which also excludes their participation in court proceedings in this proceeding”, & # 8212; the petition says.
Of course, it is nonsense when procedural leaders, judges, etc. are the same persons in respect of whom there is suspicion, although not declared, of taking bribes. Especially when such so-called “suspects” are the judges of the exemplary again anticorsud, who must not only allow some kind of understatement, but also publicly and in advance prevent all doubts about their impartiality.
In addition, it is impossible to establish the truth when these persons actually check themselves for corruption and create formal obstacles to carry out this check objectively.
Yevgeniy Kruk from VAKS took bribes
Apparently, the so-called anti-corruption infrastructure represented by NABU, SAPO and the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court are not interested in disclosing information about themselves on such corruption charges, and those who should be interested in establishing confidence in the judiciary do not even try to find a way out in order to act in accordance with international anti-corruption standards.
We expect comments from all the people involved in this material.
“Dear Ruslan Solvar”. Could corruption in courts and medical institutions help the ex-people's deputy avoid prison?
$5 million bribe: VAKS did not close the case of ex-Minister Zlochevsky
