Odesa woman extorted $14,000 from a serviceman for influencing MSEC doctors

A resident of Odesa extorted $14,000 from a serviceman for influencing the doctors of the Medical Service Commission to make a positive decision on assigning her husband a disability group and declaring him unfit for military service.

According to the police of Odesa region, the 50-year-old woman promised to influence doctors, members of the military medical commission and the expert commission for the assessment of daily functioning to make a positive decision on assigning a disability group to her husband and declare him unfit for military service.

"In case of refusal to pay the money, she threatened to create artificial obstacles during the scheduled examination to determine fitness for military service and determine the degree of disability," the statement said.

The serviceman appealed to the police, and as a result of investigative and operational measures, the woman was detained in a procedural manner after receiving the agreed amount.

Based on the evidence gathered, the detainee was served a notice of suspicion of influence peddling. This crime is punishable by imprisonment for up to eight years with confiscation of property. As of today, the court has chosen custody as a measure of restraint with the right to be released on bail in the amount of UAH 242 thousand.

The investigation is ongoing. Law enforcement officers are identifying the full range of persons involved in this crime.

Earlier, the Suvorovskyi District Court of Odesa found an anesthesiologist at the Odesa Regional Hospital guilty of influence peddling and sentenced him to a fine of UAH 330,276. In early May 2024, in exchange for a bribe, he promised to help a man get a second disability group.

The Malynovskyi District Court also considered the case of an Odesa resident who had connections to the MSEC and helped men of military age to obtain a disability certificate for money, which allowed them to avoid mobilization.

According to the case , a group of people, including doctors and employees of medical institutions, conspired to avoid mobilization by establishing or prolonging the relevant disability groups for undue advantage.

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