Position: Acting Chairman of the Comintern District Court of Odesa Oblast.
Sphere of corrupt activity: justice .
Region of corruption : Odessa region.
Qualification: Part 3 Art. 368 - acceptance of an offer, promise or receipt of an unlawful benefit by an official, as well as a request to provide such a benefit for himself or a third person for the act or omission of such an official in the interests of the one who offers, promises or provides an illegal benefit, or in the interests of a third person any action using the power or official position granted to him - the subject of which was an illegal benefit in a large amount, or committed by an official holding a responsible position, or with a prior conspiracy by a group of persons, or repeatedly, or combined with the demand for an illegal benefit, - shall be punished deprivation of liberty for a term of five to ten years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to three years, with confiscation of property.
Status: On March 25, 2024, the High Anti-Corruption Court scheduled for consideration the merits of a criminal proceeding on the charge of the Acting Chairman of the Comintern District Court of Odesa Region, Pavel Dobrov, of receiving almost 50,000 hryvnias of illegal benefits.
The plot of the case: NABU and SAP detained the head of the Comintern district court of Odesa region, Pavlo Dobrov, who was exposed the day before for receiving an illegal benefit in the amount of almost 50 thousand UAH. According to the version of the investigation, the judge promised for $1,300 to assist in making decisions on securing a claim in a civil case in favor of a citizen.
According to the investigation, a local resident, Yuriy Kaplinskyi, filed a lawsuit with the Comintern District Court of Odesa Region. His representative by proxy was Tetyana Myrhorodska, who until 2023 worked as an assistant to one of the judges of the Comintern District Court, that is, she was familiar with Pavel Dobrov.
On August 4, 2023, Tetyana Myrhorodska wrote a statement that Judge Pavlo Dobrov was demanding money from her for a "necessary" decision. According to the investigation, the initiative to meet with Tetyana Myrhorodskaya came precisely from Pavlo Dobrov. The first meeting between Tetyana Myrhorodskaya and Pavel Dobrov took place in Odesa on September 20. According to the investigation, in his car Pavlo Dobrov typed $1,300 on the screen of his mobile phone.
The judge also told Tetyana Myrhorodskaya what applications she would need to submit to the court. During the next and last meeting in Odessa on September 29, 2023, Pavlo Dobrov handed over to Tetyana Myrhorodskaya a ready-made ruling on securing the claim and a statement on requesting evidence. Also, the judge received 49,400 hryvnias from Tetyana Myrhorodskaya in his car. After that, Tetyana Myrhorodskaya left Pavel Dobrov's car (the car, by the way, belongs to another person).
However, at this time, Pavlo Dobrov noticed that he was being watched by unknown persons, probably representatives of law enforcement agencies. “Grossly violating traffic rules,” Pavlo Dobrov, according to the investigation, left the scene of the crime. The judge drove into the oncoming lane, ran a red light and disappeared from the sight of NABU detectives for a while. During this time, the judge turned off his phone and managed to destroy the money. NABU detectives managed to find the judge again only not far from the house where Pavlo Dobrov lives. At the same time, the money that the judge received as a bribe was no longer found.
Tetyana Myrhorodska worked as an assistant judge in the Kominternivskyi District Court from 2012 to 2023. After being dismissed from the court, she began to engage in private practice (in 2017, Tetyana Myrhorodska acquired the status of an attorney, although her license is still suspended). According to Pavlo Dobrov, in the summer, Tetyana Myrhorodska suddenly began calling the judge, hinting at the need to “help” her with a specific case in which she is a proxy.
Pavlo Dobrov responded to her calls for a while, but then transferred contacts with Tetyana Myrhorodskaya to his current assistant, Victoria Skryabikova. As a result, in August, Pavlo Dobrov sent his assistant to meet with Tetyana Myrhorodskaya in Odessa, during which Tetyana Myrhorodskaya tried to hand over some documents to the assistant judge. Victoria Skryabikova, according to the judge, refused to take the documents and told about the strange behavior of her former colleague judge. However, Pavlo Dobrov still decided to meet with Tetyana Myrhorodskaya in person, during which she told the judge about the case that interested her.
In this regard, Pavlo Dobrov reported that he had not committed any crime, had not received any money from Tetyana Myrhorodska, had made a lawful decision in the case, and explained the fact of delivering the finished decision in his car by caring for Tetyana Myrhorodska. "Her father is sick, it was far for her to go to the Kominternivka court," said Pavlo Dobrov.
On September 29, 2023, the judge was served with a charge of accepting an offer, promise, or receiving an improper benefit by an official.
According to Pavlo Dobrov himself and his lawyers, he became a victim of provocation by NABU.
On October 24, 2023, the Appellate Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court left the Acting Head of the Kominternivskyi District Court of Odessa Oblast, Pavlo Dobrov, with a bail of UAH 1 million with obligations as a preventive measure.
On October 2, 2023, the Supreme Council of Justice approved the detention of at. Chairman of the Comintern District Court of Odesa Region, Pavlo Dobrov.
In August 2026, the High Anti-Corruption Court announced the verdict against Pavlo Dobrov, the former acting head of the Kominternivskyi District Court of Odessa Oblast. The court found him guilty of receiving almost 50 thousand hryvnias of illegal gain.
The Supreme Court of Justice sentenced the former judge to seven years in prison. In addition, he was deprived of the right to hold positions in state and local government bodies for three years.
The court also ordered the confiscation of all property owned by the convicted person.
The verdict does not enter into force immediately, but 30 days after the date of announcement, unless the defense party appeals.
Persons potentially involved in Pavlo Dobrova's schemes: Self-employed in bribery.
Scandals : The team of the Comintern district court of Odesa region, which consists of eight judges, had problems with the democratic procedure for electing the head of the court. The five judges of the court have already initiated elections for the head of the court several times, since the position of the head of the court has been vacant for a long time - since February 2023. The other three judges are actually trying to prevent the election of the head of the court - there is a systematic failure of these judges to attend meetings of judges, which does not allow gathering a quorum. The specified three judges, although they are at the workplace on the days of the judges' meetings, do not appear at the designated meeting place. Meanwhile, problems have accumulated in the activities of the Comintern district court of the Odesa region - the head of the court staff is absent in the court, some of the staff of the staff do not meet the requirements necessary to occupy certain positions, there are problems with the organization of court administration.
Persons who should have reacted to Pavlo Dobrov's corruption schemes: In the case of Pavlo Dobrov, law enforcement agencies, the prosecutor's office and the courts worked well.
Wealth: The judge's salary is UAH 1.2 million for 2023. He has neither a wife nor children, he lives with his mother in a house of 488 square meters, there are also two apartments of 48 square meters, a Hyundai VERACRUZ car.
Sources:
The VRP gave its consent to the detention of judge Pavlo Dobrov