The Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police have exposed a former judge from the Cherkasy region for soliciting a bribe. While practising as a lawyer, he tried to stop the construction of a transit depot for Ukrainian Armed Forces military equipment in this central region of Ukraine.

Due to the SSU’s swift response, disruption of a strategic contract awarded by the Ministry of Defence was prevented.

It has been established that the lawyer demanded 10 per cent of the total sum stipulated in the contract for the construction of the defence facility from the business owner.

Should the business owner refuse, the lawyer threatened to use his personal connections to carry out physical violence against the contractor and his family.

According to the investigation, he worked as a judge at the Uman City and District Court until 2016 and had previously been implicated in criminal proceedings concerning the acceptance of bribes in exchange for court rulings.

He has now been served with a notice of suspicion under Article 189.4 of the CCU (extortion committed under martial law).

The suspect is in custody and faces up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The investigation is carried out by the SSU Office in the Cherkasy region in conjunction with the National Police, under the procedural supervision of the Cherkasy Specialised Defence Prosecutor’s Office in the Central Region.