Case description
On August 25, 2023, the HACC approved the plea agreement and found Judge Yevhen Kulyk of the Korets Court of the Rivne region and lawyer Mykola Turovych, who had acted as a mediator, guilty. They received a USD 1,100 bribe to close a case on a DUI offense.
Yevhen Kulyk had been a judge since 2014, and in October 2019, he underwent re-qualification. For USD 1,100, he promised to close the case against a citizen who was driving under the influence of alcohol. He received the money through an intermediary, lawyer Mykola Turovych, who also used to work in the Korets Court of the Rivne region. They were both exposed immediately after receiving the bribe.
The judge's actions were classified under Article 368(3) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. His accomplice was charged with Article 27(5), Article 368(3) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Both defendants concluded plea deals with the SAPO prosecutor.
Kulyk was given a suspended sentence with a probationary period of 3 years and banned from holding certain positions for 2 years. Lawyer Turovych got a probationary period of 3 years and was banned from practicing law for a year. The bail paid by the convicted persons was transferred to the Army of Drones project.
