Odesa Law Enforcement Detains 2 Servicemen for $6,000 Bribery Scheme

Law enforcement officers detained two servicemen in Odesa on suspicion of extorting a bribe from a man who was registered with one of the territorial recruitment and social support centers as a person evading mobilization.

According to the press service of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Odesa region, the conscript asked them for advice on the procedure for removing him from the wanted list, but instead received a demand to pay $6,000 to resolve the issue.

In exchange for the fee, the criminals promised to influence the adoption of a positive decision by officials of the regional territorial center for recruitment and social support.

The police detained the offenders under the procedural procedure as soon as one of them met with a man in Odesa city center and received money from him, which the law enforcement seized as material evidence.

Having gathered sufficient evidence, investigators served the suspects 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 an unlawful benefit. In accordance with the sanction of Article 369-2(3) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the offenders face imprisonment for up to eight years with confiscation of property.

The court imposed on the suspects custody as a measure of restraint with the right to be released on bail.

Earlier, the State Bureau of Investigation detained a law enforcement officer from Odesa region who promised to arrange for his military registration to be removed from the military register in exchange for money. Using his powers, he was looking for men who were wanted and hiding from territorial recruitment and social support centers.

The day before, the State Bureau of Investigation together with the Security Service of Ukraine also served the law enforcement officer with a notice of suspicion that he had promised to remove the men from the wanted list for money.

Кирило Бойко