Berdychiv Mayor Released After Posting Bail of Over 240,000 UAH
Berdychiv Mayor Serhiy Orlyuk, who was detained on suspicion of bribery, was released from custody after posting bail. This happened after a court decision to change the preventive measure, as the police and prosecutor's office later agreed on the amount of bail. According to sources, citing the Korolyov District Court of Zhytomyr, the issue of the preventive measure was considered on June 21. Initially, the court ruled to keep the mayor in custody with the possibility of posting bail in the amount of 80 subsistence minimums for able-bodied citizens. That is, this is approximately 240,000 UAH, taking into account the standards of the time. However, on June 23, Orlyuk was released from custody after posting exactly that amount. Sources add that the court decision was made immediately after posting bail, and the Berdychiv Mayor was released a free man. According to official data, it was on June 23 that he paid the bail of 242,240 hryvnias and was thus able to return to his duties. We will remind that on June 20, law enforcement officers of the region, in particular the Strategic Investigations Department of the Regional Police and the Investigation Department, detained the mayor on the spot for extorting illegal benefits in the amount of 2,000 US dollars. For the supposedly received "service", Serhiy Orlyuk was suspected of extorting and receiving a bribe. After his detention, he was officially declared a suspect under the article on bribery within the framework of criminal proceedings. According to the court decision, with the right to post bail, the mayor was arrested by the court earlier, but now this decision has been changed, and he was released on the basis of the paid amount. This became part of the procedural order, according to which the suspect has the opportunity to be released from custody upon payment of a certain amount of cash bail, which in this situation significantly relieved the legal tension and allowed the mayor to resume his duties. The investigation is still ongoing, and this case is actively discussed in local media and political circles. At the same time, it has become additional evidence of the level of corruption risks in local authorities and raises questions about the anti-corruption system in the region.