Justice minister considers options to reform scandalous local court

Justice Minister Denys Maliuska said he will recommend
to the president several options in dealing with the scandalous District
Administrative Court of Kyiv, led by Judge Pavlo Vovk, so that it stops
generating doubtful rulings. He rejected the call of a petition on the
Presidential Administration’s website to liquidate the court altogether,
stating it could have “negative consequences, if it’s not thought out.” Among
them is a lack of courts being able to handle its large caseload, Maliuska said
in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty published on Oct. 31. The
alternatives involve reorganizing the court, dissolving it, transferring its
authority to another court or transferring it with liquidation.

Zenoviy Kholodniuk, the head of the State Judicial
Administration implicated in the Vovk gang of judges scandal, was dismissed
from his position as of Oct. 30, as announced by the Higher Justice Council on
Oct. 29. The decision came after Kholodniuk submitted his resignation on Oct.
21. He was placed on two months’ leave on Oct. 1
by a judge of the High Anti-Corruption Court. Recall, Kholodniuk is among seven
judges accused by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) of participating
in a conspiracy to seize power and control of key state institutions, including
the Higher Qualifications Commission of Judges, through an extensive network of
conspiracies. For example, in exchange for guaranteeing a loyal nominee to the
commission, Kholodniuk gained Vovk’s support for remaining in his post, despite
a competition having already determined his replacement.

Zenon Zawada: We believe Kholodniuk to be the fall guy willing to take the fall for
Vovk’s gang. And if pressure intensifies, he could very well be on a one-way
flight to the retirement of his dreams. We expect Vovk himself to cling to
power for as long as he can. And we expect President Zelensky won’t take action
against him without pressure from Western authorities. Given the hefty evidence
available, and the role of the targeted NABU in having gathered the evidence,
we expect Western authorities – in consultation with Ukrainians like Maliuska –
will find a way for Zelensky to arrange for Vovk’s removal and the court’s
reorganization. This would be among the top accomplishments for the IMF-backed NABU.