Cedar nuts, Italian real estate, and questionable rulings: the secret life of Judge Dmytro Petrov

Cedar nuts, Italian real estate, and questionable rulings: the secret life of Judge Dmytro Petrov

Real estate in Italy, a plot in Kyiv region, and stolen nuts – how judge Petrov operates.

Deputy Head of the Podilskyi District Court of Kyiv, Dmytro Petrov, has drawn attention with controversial and high-profile decisions. At the end of last year, he approved construction on the site of a demolished historical police station and near an archaeological monument. At the same time, he rejected the prosecutor’s request to seize equipment and the wing of Yosyp Nosach’s estate.

Another equally resonant case is the transfer of seized property of a military unit that did not even file a lawsuit. The situation became even more complicated when it was revealed that the property in question was several tons of pine nuts. Sources close to law enforcement report that the nuts eventually disappeared without a trace, and Petrov allegedly transferred them using forged documents, while the military was unaware of what was happening. The losses were borne by LLC «Global Greenfood». Currently, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is handling this case, and rumors suggest that the judge is actively trying to «resolve the issue».

Another decision that raised questions about Judge Petrov’s integrity is the preventive measure for businessman Oleksandr Khylyk. This individual assaulted a cyclist after a road conflict. The prosecutor demanded detention, but the judge imposed only nighttime house arrest on the Mercedes driver. Later, assumptions arose that this decision might not have been disinterested. The Court of Appeal, after considering the prosecutor’s complaint, replaced house arrest with detention, allowing bail of five million hryvnias.

The National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NAPC), the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) should have long paid attention to Dmytro Petrov’s activities. Especially since questions about the judge’s illicit enrichment have arisen more than once. His declarations also raise many doubts.

Information about a new apartment in Italy was previously reported by the portal «My Kyivshchyna» with reference to Parlament ua. The exact date when this property became the ownership of Petrov’s wife, Inna Yakunina, could not be established. The value of this housing is also not specified. The source of funds for such a purchase remains a mystery. However, it is evident that the officially declared income of the judge clearly does not allow for such transactions. Even the amount stated in the declaration – slightly over one million hryvnias – casts doubt on the financial transparency of the Petrov family.

The cars used by the family have also caused public outcry. This includes a Smart ForTwo Electric 2017 and an Audi E-tron 2019. Here, Judge Petrov resorted to tricks. He uses the Audi for free, registering the car under a typical scheme: the vehicle was purchased and registered under his father-in-law’s name to avoid unwanted attention.

Moreover, since the start of the full-scale invasion, Petrov has been regularly traveling to Italy. He explains these trips as business assignments, but all expensive travels are paid for out of his own pocket. Furthermore, no evidence of official invitations to Italy could be found.