NABU catches judge Chaus with $150,000 bribe

Detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) with involvement of prosecutors of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office have caught judge of Dniprovsky district court of Kyiv Mykola Chaus with $150,000 bribe, Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office Nazar Kholodnytsky wrote on his Facebook page.

"Material evidence was taken at the site where the bribe was given [Kholodnytsky posted a photo with a glass can filled with bundles of U.S. dollar banknotes]. This is how some servants of the court store corrupt income. Despite the obviousness of the crime under Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine [a demand of a bribe by an official] that envisages imprisonment for the period from eight to 12 years with seizure of property, the judge cannot be detained and arrested, as he has immunity from jurisdiction, according to the Constitution," he wrote on Wednesday morning.

Kholodnytsky said that as the Ukrainian parliament is on vacation, lawmakers cannot quickly discuss the proposal to arrest the judge.

"Society should make an urgent request asking to punish corrupted officials. Both prosecutors of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and NABU detectives are making all possible to fairly punish this and other 'untouchables.' We see that the main obstacle to bring them to court is old legislative system that does not want to give up the untouchables," Kholodnytsky said.

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