Former head of Mykolaiv MSEC taken into custody for helping to avoid mobilization

The court has ordered the arrest of a former official of Mykolaiv City Medical Examiner's Office. The woman is suspected of facilitating mobilization evasion, forgery and false declaration.

This was reported by the press service of the Central District Court of Mykolaiv region.

The former chief physician of the Mykolaiv Regional Center for Medical and Social Expertise, Vira Bilyakova, was taken into custody without the right to bail. She is suspected of forgery in office and unlawfully granting a deferral from mobilization, as well as failing to declare expensive property.

According to the investigation, in the summer of 2024, while still in office, the suspect instructed employees of the regional MSEC to examine the documents of a person liable for military service and issue him a false examination certificate.

This document contained fictitious diagnoses that allowed the man to be classified as a third-group disabled person. This gave him the right to a deferment from conscription during mobilization and to receive social benefits from the state.

In addition, the woman did not include in her declaration an apartment in Odesa worth more than UAH 2.5 million, although she used it. This is considered a violation of anti-corruption legislation.

At the trial, the suspect stated that she had not been hiding, had not violated her duties, had not influenced witnesses, and asked that no preventive measure be imposed on her. Her lawyer emphasized that the suspicion was unfounded and the risks were unproven. However, the court ruled that there were sufficient grounds for detention without the possibility of bail.

In October 2024, law enforcement officers searched the homes of Vira Bilyakova and her son as part of a case of mobilization evasion. During the investigation, they seized more than $450,000 in cash and jewelry and found three apartments not listed in the declaration. In addition, the former official and her son were recognized as persons with disabilities of the second group, which entitled them to additional benefits and state social assistance.

In October 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers approved an action plan to combat corruption in medical and social expert commissions. The Ministry of Health has also prepared a draft law that changes the procedure for establishing special needs and health assessment. In December, it was decided to reorganize Mykolaiv MSEC and merge it with the regional hospital.

Анна Бальчінос