Shabunin's case: the defense requested the recusal of Judge Hrechana, but the motion was rejected
Kyiv • UNN
The defense of Vitaliy Shabunin, head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, requested the recusal of Judge Svitlana Hrechana due to bias, but the motion was rejected. Shabunin is accused of evading military service and fraud using Ukrainian Armed Forces transport.
During the court hearing on the pre-trial detention of Vitaliy Shabunin, head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center (TsPK), who, according to the investigation, systematically evaded military service and unlawfully used a vehicle intended for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the defense requested the recusal of Judge Svitlana Hrechana due to possible bias. However, the motion was rejected, and Judge Hrechana will continue the proceedings, reports UNN correspondent.
Details
At the beginning of the court hearing, the defense requested the recusal of Judge Svitlana Hrechana due to possible bias.
In this case, there are grounds to believe that there are circumstances that raise doubts about Svitlana Hrechana's impartiality, as Shabunin is the head of the board of the public organization TsPK, and this organization has repeatedly criticized the judge's activities
The prosecutor asks the court to refuse the judge's replacement and calls it a delay in decision-making. At the same time, the lawyer emphasized that the case is not being delayed, as the court did not go to the shelter during the air raid.
Additionally
It is currently known that Shabunin's defense motion to recuse the judge was rejected.
The pre-trial detention of the head of the TsPK will be continued by Judge Hrechana.
Supplement
On July 11, UNN reported that law enforcement officers served a notice of suspicion to Vitaliy Shabunin, head of the TsPK, who, according to the investigation, systematically evaded military service and unlawfully used a vehicle intended for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In particular, facts were documented of him receiving a monthly monetary allowance of over 50 thousand hryvnias, despite his actual absence from the military unit.
The activist was served with a notice of suspicion under Part 4 of Article 409 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - evasion of military service under martial law; Part 2 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (in the version of the Law at the time of the criminal offense) - appropriation of another's property by fraud, committed on a large scale. The sanction of the article provides for punishment of up to 10 years of imprisonment.
The lawyer for public activist and serviceman Vitaliy Shabunin became Serhiy Rokun, who suddenly left NABU last summer after a series of scandals and on the eve of an international audit.