Ihor Ratushnyak, who previously led the court for years, received a guilty verdict from the High Anti-Corruption Court in December 2023. Ratushnyak argues the verdict is politically motivated due to a dispute with a relative of a member of the Servant of the People party. He is currently appealing the verdict.
A judge convicted of corruption has been reinstated as the head of the Tyvriv District Court in Vinnytsia Oblast, claiming his verdict was rigged, Slidstvo.Info reports.
The Tyvriv District Court in Vinnytsia has elected its new head. In a secret ballot among three candidates, Ratushnyak, who had previously led the court, was chosen.
Judge Ihor Ratushnyak
Ihor Ratushnyak is known for being convicted by the High Anti-Corruption Court in December 2023 for receiving illegal benefits. According to the prosecution, in August 2021, the judge expressed willingness to recognize land ownership for a fee. He valued each hectare at 40,000 hryvnias ($1,540). In total, Ratushnyak valued over 3 hectares at 120,000 hryvnias ($4,620 at the time).
Detectives from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, in cooperation with the National Police, documented two instances of money transfers — $3,000 and $1,620.
Searches at Ihor Ratushnyak’s residence / photo by NABU
As a result of the court proceedings, the High Anti-Corruption Court sentenced Ihor Ratushnyak to 7 years in prison, banned him from holding public office for 3 years, and ordered the confiscation of his property.
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The verdict has not yet taken effect as Ratushnyak is appealing it. The newly reinstated head of the Tyvriv District Court in Vinnytsia Oblast believes the verdict is illegal and rigged.
“I am accused of soliciting illegal benefits and it says that I received them. However, there is no evidence that I asked for anything, and the law enforcement agent himself also refuted the information that I asked him for illegal benefits,” Ratushnyak told a Slidstvo.Info journalist.
Ihor Ratushnyak claims that before this incident involving bribery, accusations, and litigation, he had a dispute with the mother of a member of the Servant of the People party, Iryna Borzova, which led to threats against him. Ratushnyak believes these threats resulted in the court case and the verdict he is now appealing.
According to Ihor Ratushnyak, the verdict and possible conviction did not prevent him from becoming the head of the court: “Any lawyer who reads this verdict will immediately understand that it is flawed. Also, it should be noted that the verdict is from a court of first instance, and there is still the appellate court and the Supreme Court. Statistically, 80% of the High Anti-Corruption Court’s verdicts are overturned by the Supreme Court. I hope that I will be heard and receive a fair and legal sentence.”
Activists from the NGO All-Ukrainian Union Automaidan analyzed Ratushnyak’s judicial practice in cases involving drunk drivers and found that the lawyer representing the suspects in traffic violations is Vyacheslav Kohutnytskyi. This lawyer is also defending Ihor Ratushnyak in the High Anti-Corruption Court.
According to Automaidan, Kohutnytskyi and Ratushnyak allowed drunk drivers to avoid responsibility through a certain scheme.
“Initially, the case is assigned to a specific judge. Kohutnytskyi files a recusal motion, arguing that the judge is biased against Ukrainian citizens or has a conflict with the judge. And who reviews the recusal? That’s right, Ratushnyak! And so, he grants the recusal, after which the case is transferred to him. And the final step—Ratushnyak dismisses the cases against the offenders due to the lack of evidence and absence of criminal elements,” writes Automaidan.
