State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine (DBR) announced the filing of charges deputy head of the Rivne OTCU (Oblast Territorial Center for Replenishment and Support) in connection with extorting bribes for postponing mobilization.
According to investigators, the official demanded money even from men who had full and legal grounds to do so. In case of refusal he threatened to create artificial administrative obstacles, including continued inclusion in military registers as a wanted person.
The amounts of the “fees” ranged from 10 to 12 thousand US dollars, depending on the grounds on which a given person was to receive a postponement from mobilization or be removed from the wanted list.
To hide the origin of the money, the suspect used various schemes. In one documented case, he instructed his subordinates purchase of a car with funds derived from a bribe, adding some money from previous “payments”. The vehicle was registered to a substitute personand then handed over to the superior for full use.
After that, the man from whom the money had been extorted was removed from the wanted list, which enabled him to arrange the documents without any problems.
The investigation is ongoing – law enforcement agencies are investigating further possible cases of extortion in Rivne OTCK and SP.
The official was charged requesting and accepting a financial advantage by a public official in a managerial position, collusion and extortion (Article 368 §3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
He is threatened up to 10 years of imprisonment and confiscation of property.
The court applied a fine to the suspect temporary arrest with the option of payment a deposit of 2 million 271 thousand UAH.
Process supervision is carried out Rivne Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Defense Matters.
Source: DBR
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