On October 3, the first preparatory hearing was held in the case of former Sumy Mayor Oleksandr Lysenko and former director of the city's Infrastructure Department, Oleksandr Zhurba, who are facing bribery charges.
The case is being heard in a single-judge trial by Judge Kateryna Shyroka; however, the defense lawyer has filed a motion for collective consideration of the case.
In his view, the case should be considered collectively immediately following the submitted motion; however, the judge disagreed. She stated that such a motion should be resolved later, specifically based on the outcomes of the preparatory session.
The next hearing is scheduled for October 10, during which the defense will file complaints against the actions of the pre-trial investigation body and objections to the decisions of the investigating judges.
It should be noted that Lysenko allegedly demanded more than UAH 2 million in bribes from a local company involved in garbage collection.