Tyvrovsky District Court is headed by Ihor Ratushnyak, who was convicted of corruption

Tyvrovsky District Court is headed by Ihor Ratushnyak, who was convicted of corruption

The head of the Tyvriv District Court in Vinnytsia region is Judge Ihor Ratushnyak. He had previously led this court for a long time, but in December 2023, he received a guilty verdict from the High Anti-Corruption Court.

Ratushnyak believes that this verdict is orchestrated, as he had a falling out with a relative of a People’s Deputy from the "Servant of the People" party. Currently, Ratushnyak is appealing the verdict in the appellate court.

In the Tyvriv District Court of Vinnytsia region, a vote for the head of the court took place. During a secret ballot among three candidates, Ihor Ratushniak, who has repeatedly led this court, was elected.

Ihor Ratushnyak is known for the fact that in December 2023, the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) sentenced him for receiving unlawful benefits. According to the prosecution, in August 2021, the judge expressed readiness to recognize ownership of a land plot for money, valuing each hectare at 40,000 hryvnias. As a result, Ratushnyak valued over 3 hectares at 120,000 hryvnias ($4,620 as of 2021).

The HACC sentenced Ihor Ratushnyak to 7 years in prison, banned him from holding positions in state authorities and local self-government for 3 years, and ruled to confiscate his property. The verdict has not yet entered into force, as Ratushnyak is appealing it. According to the new head of the Tyvriv District Court in Vinnytsia Oblast, this verdict is illegal and orchestrated.

«They accuse me of requesting unlawful benefits and claim that I received them. However, there is no evidence that I requested anything, and even the law enforcement agent refuted the information that I asked him for unlawful benefits», — Judge Ihor Ratushnyak stated in a comment to a journalist from «Slidstvo.Info».

Ihor Ratushnyak says that before this bribery story, accusation, and trial emerged, he had a conflict with the mother of People’s Deputy from the "Servant of the People" party, Iryna Borzova, after which he began receiving threats. According to Ratushnyak, the consequence of these threats is the court case and the verdict he is currently trying to appeal in the appellate court.

According to Ihor Ratushnyak, the verdict and possible conviction did not prevent him from becoming the head of the court: «Any lawyer who reads this verdict will immediately understand that it is flawed. It should also be taken into account that the verdict is from the first instance, and there is still the appellate court and the Supreme Court. According to statistics, 80% of HACC verdicts are overturned by the Supreme Court. I hope that I will be heard, and I will receive a fair and lawful verdict».

Activists from the NGO «All-Ukrainian Association «Automaidan» analyzed Ratushnyak’s judicial practice in cases involving drunk drivers and found that the lawyer for the suspects in traffic rule violations is Vyacheslav Kohutnytskyi. This lawyer also defends Ihor Ratushniak in the HACC.

According to «Automaidan», Kohutnytskyi and Ratushnyak, through a certain scheme, allowed drunk drivers to avoid responsibility for their actions.

«First, the case is assigned to a specific judge. Kohutnytskyi requests the recusal of the judge, arguing that the judge shows bias against Ukrainian citizens or that there is a conflict with the judge. And who reviews the recusal? Of course, Ratushniak! He grants the recusal, after which the case is transferred to him. As a result — Ratushnyak closes the cases of violators due to the absence of an event or elements of an offense», — writes «Automaidan».