The higher anti-corruption court sentenced Olha Panchenko, the head of the Kharkiv District Administrative Court, to five years in prison. She is accused of paying a bribe.
This is reported by High Commission of Court Attestation and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutorʼs Office.
She was also disqualified from serving as a judge for three years. The HCCA verdict can be appealed within 30 days from the moment of its announcement.
According to the indictment, the head of the court tried to put pressure on the judge of the Kharkiv DAC Olena Zaichko, trying to “bribe” her with a $3,000. For this, the judge had to make a decision in favor of third parties in the case of land division.
Panchenko was exposed immediately after the transfer of the bribe on September 21, 2020, as part of a joint operation by National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and Security Service of Ukraine detectives under the procedural guidance of SAP prosecutors.
The prosecutorʼs office asked for the accused Panchenko to be sentenced to six years in prison with confiscation of property.