Military in Odesa region sent to pre-trial detention center for extortion of $4 thousand bribe

The court sent to a pre-trial detention center with the right to post bail of 605,600 UAH a 45-year-old soldier of a military unit in Odesa region who is suspected of extorting 4,000 USD from a civilian.

According to the press service of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Odesa region, the soldier offered the man to formally enroll him in a volunteer formation of the territorial community in exchange for this money.

He promised that with a certificate of membership in the DFTG, the man would be considered a military serviceman, while avoiding actual conscription. The soldier said that he had influence on officials of the command of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who make the relevant decisions. He also warned that without the money, the candidate would face difficulties during the registration process.

After the suspect received the money, law enforcement officers detained him and seized the money. The man has now been served a notice of suspicion of obtaining an unlawful benefit for influencing the decision-making of a person authorized to perform state functions, combined with extortion of such benefit. If proven guilty, the military officer faces imprisonment for a term of three to eight years with confiscation of property.

Earlier, the Kropyvnytskyi Court of Appeal upheld the verdict against the chief specialist of the Odesa Border Inspection Control Department of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection.

Police officers and the State Bureau of Investigation also detained the commander of the line and cable department of a military unit in Odesa region on suspicion of extortion and receiving bribes from subordinates.

Кирило Бойко