Odesa region detains deputy who made money on mobilization evasion

The Security Service of Ukraine has detained a deputy of a city council in Odesa region on suspicion of helping people liable for military service to obtain a deferral from mobilization for health reasons.

This was reported by the SBU press service.

According to the special service, the deputy simultaneously held the position of general director of one of the city hospitals in the region and was a member of the military medical commission as a neurologist. So he was selling fictitious medical certificates of poor health to conscripts to defer conscription.

According to the press service of the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office, the neurologist demanded 10 thousand US dollars for assistance in making the necessary decisions by military medical commissions - first the district and later the regional MCC and JV.

The official assured that the conscript would receive documents on his unfitness for military service only after full payment of the entire amount, which had to be transferred in several stages. Law enforcement officers detained the doctor while he was receiving part of the bribe. The Dobroslav District Prosecutor's Office notified him of suspicion of influence peddling.

At the request of the prosecutor's office, the court imposed a pre-trial restraint in the form of detention with bail of almost UAH 2 million.

Also in Odesa, a lawyer was detained who promised to assist potential conscripts in falsely diagnosing serious illnesses in exchange for money. He tried to involve his acquaintances in the fake diagnosis.

The lawyer demanded and received USD 3.5 thousand from the conscript to resolve the issue. In professional circles, he was known as a specialist in preparing documents for deferment of conscription.

He promised to use his influential connections with officials of medical institutions, where, with the help of doctors, men were registered in a hospital with the right diagnosis, after which a package of documents on their unfitness for military service was prepared.

Meetings, arrangements and the transfer of funds took place in a restaurant in the center of Odesa. The lawyer was detained by law enforcement officers while transferring the second part of the illegal benefit - USD 1.5 thousand.

Кирило Бойко