Moldovan President Ihor Dodon has refused to grant political asylum to Ukrainian judge Mykola Chaus, an informed source told Interfax-Ukraine.

"The Moldovan president denied political asylum to Chaus," the source said on Friday.

At the same time, he pointed out that this decision is not final.

Thus, this does not mean that Chaus will be extradited to Ukraine.

As earlier reported, on August 9 agents from NABU with agents from the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) discovered Chaus had received a bribe of $150,000. The money was found in two glass jars, which Chaus dug in the yard of his residence.

Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada on September 6 supported the representation of the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) to detain and arrest Chaus.

SAPO the same day said Chaus had fled to Russian-occupied Crimea.

Kyiv's Solomiansky District Court gave permission to arrest Chaus on September 12.

On November 11, 2016, Chaus was placed on Interpol's international wanted list.

Chaus is suspected of committing a crime pursuant to Part 4 of Article 368 of Ukraine's Criminal Code (accepting, offering or promising a bribe).

On March 1, 2017, the judge was detained in Moldova.

In turn, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) noted that the procedure for the extradition of Judge Chaus had been launched, the final decision on his extradition will be made by the court in Moldova.

At the moment, the judge is under house arrest in Moldova.

On September 22, SAPO Chief Nazar Kholodnytsky said that the issue of Chaus's extradition from Moldova to Ukraine depends on a decision of the Moldovan president: "The issue is still under consideration, unless there is a decision of the president of the republic to extradite him, either grant or not grant him political asylum."