$6,000 for a “guaranteed” exam: lawyer detained in Kyiv for corruption

In Kyiv, law enforcement officers detained a 40-year-old lawyer suspected of extorting undue advantage. According to the investigation, he promised to help a Kyiv resident pass the qualifying exam to obtain a bar certificate.

Investigators from the Shevchenko Police Department, with the support of the SBU, discovered that the lawyer offered to “help” the Kyiv resident’s wife pass the test. He claimed that he had the ability to influence members of the Bar Qualification and Disciplinary Commission.

He demanded $6,000 for guaranteed success. According to the agreement, half of the amount — $3,000 — had to be paid before the exam, and the rest — only after receiving a positive result. The lawyer also emphasized that without “cooperation,” the candidate would probably not be able to successfully pass the exam.

During the next meeting, he received documents to submit to the commission and the first part of the funds — $3,000. After that, law enforcement officers detained him in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.

Under the procedural guidance of the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office, the lawyer was charged with suspicion under Part 3 of Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (obtaining unlawful benefit for influencing a decision-making process by a person authorized to perform state functions, combined with the extortion of such benefit). The sanction of this article provides for a penalty of up to eight years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.

The court chose a preventive measure for the suspect – detention with the possibility of posting bail in the amount of 3 million hryvnias.