Ukrainian lawyers have accused judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court of violating the law. They are suspected of fulfilling the tasks of SAPO prosecutors and NABU detectives. This was stated by lawyer Taras Baranov during the consideration by the High Council of Justice of a complaint against HACC judges Serhiy Bodnar, Viktor Pankulych and Ihor Panaid, UNN reports.
"HACC judges take an active position, which is actually aimed at performing the function of prosecution - playing along with SAPO prosecutors and NABU detectives. The petition filed by the HACC Appeals Chamber judges with the High Council of Justice reveals the approach taken by the High Anti-Corruption Court. The HACC judges follow a post-totalitarian, post-Soviet approach, when it is necessary to assist the prosecution - the SAPO and the NABU, to fulfill their task," Baranov emphasized.
Lawyer Tetyana Popovska expressed surprise that HACC judges are delaying the HCJ process.
"HACC judges are deliberately delaying the disciplinary process. I am surprised by such actions of the judges. Usually they accuse lawyers of abusing their rights, but now they are doing the same, i.e. abusing their rights," she noted.
According to the materialsconsidered by the HCJ, at the end of 2022, the panel of judges of the HACCU AP considered an appeal of the SAPO prosecutor against the decision of the HACCU investigating judge. The ruling denied the motion of the NABU detective to impose a preventive measure in the form of detention on Nina Mezentseva. During the court hearing, an air raid alarm sounded. The panel of judges decided to adjourn the hearing and allow the participants in the trial to take cover. Upon returning to the courtroom, the lawyers found out that the HACC judges had considered the motion of the NABU detective without the defendant's defense lawyers.
At its last meeting, the High Council of Justice failed to make a decision on the complaint against the judges and decided to postpone the decision in the disciplinary case. In fact, it was postponed indefinitely.
As reported earlier, according to a survey by the Rating Group, the judiciary, which is represented by the HACC, has the lowest level of trust among Ukrainians: 72% of citizens do not trust it.
Domestic lawyers have repeatedly drawn attention to the HACC's accusatory bias and its support for NABU and SAPO, and this was essentially acknowledged by Gizo Uglava , former first deputy head of NABU: "We worked (with the HACC - ed.) as one. Of course, we were harshly criticized for this, we were accused of an unprecedented concentration of power.