A surgeon and an accomplice were caught taking a bribe in the Odesa region

In the Odesa region, a woman wanted to apply for disability benefits for her husband—and was offered a deal to pay $5,000 for a "guaranteed" result. The surgeon who named this amount and his accomplice were detained by the police.

This was reported by the press service of the National Police in the Odesa region.

Investigators documented and put a stop to the illegal activities of a 45-year-old surgeon at a hospital in the Odesa region and his 55-year-old acquaintance.

A woman approached the doctor to find out how to secure a second-level disability classification for her husband. Instead of providing medical advice, the doctor offered an alternative solution to the problem.

<picture></picture>Photo: National Police in the Odesa region

The doctor promised to influence officials on the expert panel that assesses a person’s daily functioning so that the man would be granted a lifetime disability status. He estimated the cost of such “assistance” at five thousand dollars.

The doctor convinced the woman that it would be difficult to get a positive decision without paying.

The surgeon structured the scheme in two stages. First, three thousand dollars were received, as instructed by him, by an acquaintance of the man—whom the doctor introduced to the woman as his trusted representative.

<picture></picture>Investigators have charged the doctor’s accomplice. Photo: Regional Police Press Service

The doctor collected the rest of the money in person during a subsequent meeting with the complainant.

Law enforcement officers documented the transfer of funds and detained both men. Investigators also conducted several searches and seized items that may be relevant to the case.

The doctor and his acquaintance were notified that they are suspected of receiving an unlawful benefit for influencing the decisions of public officials, committed through prior conspiracy and with the extortion of money.

The court imposed pretrial measures on the suspects.

If found guilty in court, the men face up to eight years in prison with confiscation of property.

As reported by Intent, a former member of parliament was recently detained for offering conscripts $10,000 to obtain a fraudulent disability designation.

Ірина Глухова