A bribery judge from Dnipro joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine before the appeal

A bribery judge from Dnipro joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine before the appeal

The Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has suspended the consideration of an appeal against the sentence that sentenced Lala Novik, a judge of the Dnipropetrovsk District Court, to 5 years in prison for receiving an improper benefit. She was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This decision was made by the HACC on January 20th.

It is known that the anti-corruption court found Judge Novik guilty and sentenced her to 5 years in prison with the confiscation of part of her property, which belongs to her as personal property rights. The accused and her defender filed appeals. Later, Judge Novik requested to suspend the consideration of her case because she was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"The request of the accused and the petition of the defender are granted. To suspend the proceedings on the appeals of the accused (Novik. - ed.) and her defender against the verdict of the High Anti-Corruption Court of October 9, 2024, in the criminal proceedings concerning (Novik. - ed.), accused under part 3 of article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, until her release from military service," the decision reads.

Recall that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office exposed Judge Novik for receiving an undue benefit. According to the investigation, the judge demanded and received $2,500 for making a decision in favor of an individual in a civil case.

Following this, the leadership of the Prosecutor General’s Office agreed to notify her of the suspicion, and the judge was handed the document. Judge Novik was also suspended from administering justice.