Cherkasy judge Darya Sakun avoided responsibility for a drunk driving accident with a colleague

Cherkasy judge Darya Sakun avoided responsibility for a drunk driving accident with a colleague

In Cherkasy, Zvenyhorodka Court Judge Darya Sakun avoided punishment for a DUI accident.

This was reported by local media.

In November 2023, Judge Sakun, along with Deputy Head of the Cherkasy Court of Appeals Volodymyr Borodiychuk, abused alcoholic beverages. After this, they got into a car accident in a Toyota Land Cruiser and fled the scene. Witnesses who reported the incident to the police indicated that Sakun was driving. Patrol officers apprehended the pair on the Dnipro River bank, where Judge Borodiychuk was found behind the wheel.

During the interaction with the police officer, Sakun called an unknown person and said: “Oleh, help," after which she received a call and replied: “Yeah, we are partying." It later turned out that “Oleh" was the chief of Cherkasy regional police, Colonel Oleh Hudima.

The video recording also captured a conversation between the police officer and Sakun, where she claims that she was driving, and then adds: “We are one team."

While law enforcement was talking to the judges, an officer from Cherkasy region SSU, Valeriy Ponomarenko, appeared on the bank accompanied by an unidentified woman. According to media reports, the operative is allegedly the civilian husband of the judge.

The cases against the two judges were submitted to the High Council of Justice. The Disciplinary Chamber decided that Borodiychuk’s behavior discredited the title of judge and undermined the authority of justice, and thus, he should be dismissed. On June 25, he contested the dismissal decision before the full Council, which unanimously rejected his appeal.

The situation with Sakun is more complicated. In May, at a HCJ hearing, she changed her testimony and claimed that Borodiychuk was driving and that she was sober, although police body camera footage showed clear signs of severe alcohol intoxication. An administrative offense report was not drawn up against her. This circumstance is currently the subject of a disciplinary complaint by activist Korkiyaynen, which is to be considered by the HCJ on October 2.

On July 17, the High Council of Justice decided to open a disciplinary case against Sakun. The text of the decision notes: “The complainant claimed that on a working day, the judge, together with Borodiychuk, consumed alcoholic beverages in a public catering establishment. According to the establishment’s staff, the behavior of the judges resembled that of a married couple...

The complainant noted that administrative offense reports under Article 124 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses, for traffic violations resulting in damage to vehicles, were not drawn up against Sakun or Borodiychuk. On November 13, 2023, at 15:49, administrative offense cases No. 694/2716/23, 694/2717/23, 694/2718/23 were allocated in the Zvenyhorodka district court. On the same day, by Judge Sakun’s ruling, these cases were amalgamated into one proceeding with case No. 694/2715/23 and concluded. Simultaneously, Korkiyaynen O.S. pointed out that on November 13, 2023, while in Cherkasy, the judge managed to review 10 more civil cases, making judicial decisions in the form of rulings, court orders, and decisions. According to the complainant, these circumstances indicate interference with the court’s automated document management system and systematic misrepresentation in official court documents. This “justice" allowed Judge Sakun to acquire two expensive SUVs during 2022-2023, estimated by journalists to be worth more than 2.4 million UAH. The complaint also stated that as of April 25, 2024, Judge Sakun D.I. had an arrangement with police officers to avoid having reports drawn up against her.

Currently, there is information that Judge Sakun plans to apply for the position of head of the Cherkasy Court of Appeals.