“Impostor” found in the Kyiv bar - Sergiy Osyka

The Kyiv City QDCB was not registered in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On the Bar and Practice of Law”.

This is how Mr Sergiy Osyka, the BCU member and member of the Special Commission on audit of activities of the bar self-government bodies in Kyiv, explained the situation.

"The Kyiv City Qualifications and Disciplinary Commission of the Bar was registered as an ordinary NGO and it is not the bar self-government body. Registration of the Kyiv City QDCB was not carried out in accordance with provisions of the Regulations on the Kyiv City Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of the Bar, which, according to law, is approved by the BCU", - said Mr Osyka.

Therefore, the Kyiv City QDCB as an NGO simply appropriated the rights and obligations of the bar self-government body.

"The NGO with a consonant name, which had no powers whatsoever, during 2012-2016 conducted bar examinations, issued advocate’s certificates and examined disciplinary cases", - stated Sergiy Osyka.

Due to its status as an NGO, the Kyiv City QDCB cannot be inspected by the audit commission, even though financial abuses are obvious. "The issues of spending these funds cannot be investigated by the bar self-government body, but the advocates themselves who have paid the money and got false advocate’s certificates should put questions to this NGO or go to court", - said Mr Osyka.

On June 11 2016 the BCU approved a package of decisions aimed at recovering of the bar self-government in Kyiv and at addressing the issue of protection of rights and lawful interests of persons who passed a bar exam in Kyiv in the improper and unauthorized body, and received advocate’s certificates. The QDCB activities were inspected by the temporary special commission, whose conclusions were approved by the BCU.