Sakkart is the second Viru County judge in legal trouble in only three months.

TALLINN — Viru County Judge Jüri Sakkart was arrested on Feb. 3 by the Estonian Security Police for accepting a bribe to reveal investigation documents.

According to the charges the judge allegedly asked for and then accepted the bribe of 60,000 krooni (€3,830) in exchange of illegally disclosing classified documents from a pre-court criminal investigation on a tax fraud case, which came as a surprise to the prosecutor’s office.

“The prosecutor’s office was shocked when many of the tailing operations concerning this case incomprehensibly failed,“ Dilaila Nahkur-Tammiksaar, leading prosecutor of the Viru District Prosecutor’s Office told Estonian Public Broadcasting Monday when the case was announced to the public.

The security police conducted several different searches on Feb. 3 but no additional information is being released to the media.

Another three men were detained concerning the case, Pavel in interceding the bribe, and Oleg and Anton in giving the bribes. The prosecutor’s office is not releasing their last names.

Sakkart, who has served as a judge since 1993, made a proposal to the chairman of the Supreme Court to release him from his duties on his own will on Feb. 5. Sakkart could face two to 10 years imprisonment for bribe-taking and five years for revealing a classified document if found guilty.

Mailin Aasmäe, a Supreme Court spokeswoman, told Baltic Reports that the Court en banc will make a decision on Tuesday.

In trouble before

Sakkart, who gave seven death sentences within his first four-year service in court, received disciplinary punishment in 1997, when he misused his position and changed a three-month jail sentence to a nine-month jail sentence for a thief who stole a car tire and 35 liters of gas. A judicial disciplinary commission decided that Sakkart misused the power of court and decided to resign him from his position. However, the Court en banc gave him a one-month salary fine instead.

Second Viru judge in hot water

Jüri Sakkart’s colleague, Viru County Judge Mihhail Komtšatnikov was also accused in bribery less than three months ago.

Komtšatnikov was arrested Dec. 4 by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. According to the charges the judge allegedly repeatedly accepted and asked for bribes in exchange for favorable judicial decisions.

Harju County Court found him guilty on Jan.18, and sentenced him to jail for two years. Komtšatnikov also has to pay 10,875 krooni (€695) fine to the state, and 1,500 krooni (€95) for legal aid.

”Both cases are extremely regrettable to Viru County court, but also to judicial authority as a whole,” Pavel Gontšarov, head judge of the Viru County Court told Baltic Reports.

Some legal professionals worry that recent salary cuts for judges will only further encourage judicial bribe-taking.