HCJ punished a judge for lifting the seizure in the case of Premier Hotel Rus, linked to citizens of the Russian Federation – Prosecutor's Office
Kyiv • UNN
The High Council of Justice issued a reprimand to a judge for the illegal lifting of the seizure of the Premier Hotel Rus. Prosecutors thwarted an attempt to re-register assets in favor of Russians.
The High Council of Justice has disciplined a judge who illegally lifted the seizure of property in the case involving the Premier Hotel Rus, which is linked to citizens of the Russian Federation, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on Friday, UNN writes.
The High Council of Justice has held an investigating judge of the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv to disciplinary responsibility for illegally canceling the seizure of property on March 20, 2022, in criminal proceedings regarding assets linked to citizens of the Russian Federation. This refers to the premises of the Premier Hotel Rus in the center of Kyiv
The cancellation of the seizure, the PGO noted, "created a risk of this asset leaving state control and could have made it impossible to further secure the criminal proceedings."
After the seizure was lifted on March 23, 2023, according to the PGO, "attempts were made to re-register the property." "However, thanks to the consistent actions of prosecutors, the loss of the seized property was prevented: on March 31, 2023, the hotel was re-seized, and prosecutors initiated the cancellation of the registration action through the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. The Ministry of Justice granted the prosecutor's complaint and canceled the private notary's decision regarding the change of the hotel's owner," the statement reads.
Prosecutors also appealed to the High Council of Justice with a complaint to hold the judge to disciplinary responsibility. During its consideration, the prosecutor emphasized the gross procedural violations committed by the investigating judge when making the decision to cancel the seizure.
"On May 20, 2024, the Third Disciplinary Chamber of the HCJ agreed with the prosecutors' arguments and held the judge to disciplinary responsibility. A penalty was applied to him in the form of a reprimand with deprivation of the right to receive supplements to the official salary for one month," the report states.