**Notorious Ukrainian Judge Dismissed Amid Accusations of Criminal Organization and Power Grab**
The High Council of Justice has dismissed Judge Pavlo Vovk, the head of the liquidated Kyiv District Administrative Court. He was charged with creating a criminal organization and attempting to seize power.
Vovk failed to appear before the High Council of Justice and instead submitted multiple appeals. The council’s speaker, Oksana Kvasha, proposed dismissing him. All 14 members supported the proposal.
Judge Vovk has become a symbol of systemic corruption and judicial impunity in Ukraine. He and other judges from his court face charges of usurpation of power, obstruction of justice, organized crime, and abuse of authority.
In December 2022, Ukraine’s parliament voted to dissolve the Kyiv District Administrative Court, which had been mired in corruption scandals under Vovk’s leadership. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the decree, making it law.
The U.S. Department of State sanctioned Vovk on Dec. 9, 2022, imposing visa restrictions and potentially freezing his assets.
Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court is hearing the criminal case against Vovk and his accomplices. For years, prosecutors, investigators, and courts have obstructed and delayed cases against him.
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