The official video of a law enforcement search of the chambers of Anton Chernushenko, the head of the Court of Appeals of Kyiv, released by the General Prosecutor Office's on June 23, is cited as a perfect illustration of how corruption works in Ukraine.
During the search, prosecutors confiscated from the judge $6,500, Hr 30,000, the keys to five cars (including a Mercedes, Jeep and Range Rover) registered to his relatives and cards for 14 tons worth of gasoline.
According to Ukrinform news agency, Chernushenko appeared on June 22 at a press conference and defended himself, saying the accusations against him are fabricated. “I brought Hr 25,000 because I was going to buy food supplies home after work. That day I only had one court session at 9:30 a.m, And $6,500 I picked up because I had planned visit to the dentist and didn’t know the cost of five tooth implants,” the judge said. Gift cards of 14.5 tons of gasoline, according to Chernushenko, were presents from a friend, who is now abroad. “I used some cards and the rest of it I just didn’t want to throw out because of a beautiful picture on them,” he said.
Dmitro Chernushenko, son of the judge, told Ukrainian Pravda, that his father was detained for almost 24 hours in the Court of Appeals building. “Those people gave no comments about what is happening. And my dad said that he couldn’t go out because he was blocked in his office,” said Chernushenko junior on June 20.
Investigators found money, keys to luxury cars and a text message apparently instructing Anton Chernushenko, the head of the Court of Appeals of Kyiv, how to rule on a case before him.
Prosecutors showed journalists how Chernushenko refused to show investigators the document of a ruling he made as well as money hidden in his robe.
On the video, it can be clearly seen Chernushenko is trying to impede the investigation. At first, he refused to give access to his table,documents and other personal stuff. When the prosecution’s investigator shows him a court order, Chernushenko rejects it, saying it is not authentic.
Then the judge tried to hide something in his pockets. Officer even had to ask him to stop.
Prosecutors have also explored Chernushenko personal messages in his mobile phone, and found texts orders from the unidentified numbers “to сancel the previous ruling,” “to release under house arrest,”“to reduce the bail from Hr. 30 million to Hr 500,000.”
On June 22, acting Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Head Vasyl Hrytsak accused Chernushenko of manipulating the appellate court’s computerized system of assigning court cases to judges. The SBU is currently investigating interference in the computerized system of automatic, random assignment of cases, he said. Most courts have a single automatized system yet the appellate court developed its own with the help of a software company, Hrytsak said.
Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin told journalists on June 22 that he submitted a request to Ukraine’s parliament to remove judicial immunity from the chief judge of the Kyiv Appellate Court, Anton Chernushenko, and to arrest him. Chernushenko has declined to reveal the source of these items, Shokin said. He responded the question about where Chernushenko is now, saying the judge is watching the press briefing about his case.
