An unexpected ruling occurred in the Lviv District Administrative Court: Sergey Butov, who is suspected of systematic bribery, has been reinstated at the Lviv Customs.
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SubscribeThe official, who was detained at the end of November last year while accepting a bribe of $16,000, will be able to return to his position. This became known from the court ruling published in the Unified State Register of Court Decisions.
As past events remind us, Sergey Butov was caught red-handed by GDBR officers at the "Panska Hora" hotel while attempting to receive the second part of his "reward." In total, according to law enforcement, he managed to collect $38,000 for facilitating the clearance of goods disguised as humanitarian aid, circumventing mandatory customs payments.
After his arrest, Butov was disgracefully dismissed for violating the oath of a civil servant. However, in January 2024, he decided that this was not enough and filed a lawsuit to declare his dismissal illegal and to regain his job.
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Judge Ulyana Bratychek, while considering the case, determined that as long as Sergey Butov has not been found guilty, his dismissal cannot be deemed lawful. The court noted that the notification of suspicion is not evidence of guilt and cannot serve as grounds for disciplinary action.
As a result, on September 17, the court ruled to reinstate Butov as a state inspector in the Department for Combating Smuggling and Violations of Customs Rules. Moreover, he will receive 152,000 hryvnias for the time spent on forced leave.
But this is not the end: the decision can be appealed, and who knows what awaits Butov and the Lviv Customs in the future.