Rescuer from Mykolaiv exposed for sick leave fraud while participating in show

The police are investigating a case against a MasterChef contestant and major of the State Emergency Service from Mykolaiv region for allegedly using fake sick leave. Law enforcement officials suspect that during her sick leave, she participated in the filming of the show without official permission.

This was reported by the channel of the international detective agency Absolution.

Olesya Babiy-Polezhayeva, a major of the State Emergency Service in Mykolaiv region and a participant in the 15th season of the MasterChef TV show, became a person involved in criminal proceedings. The police suspect her of using forged documents, namely fake sick leave certificates.

According to law enforcement, on the days when Babiy-Polezhayeva was supposed to be on sick leave, she was outside the garrison without official permission - in particular, in Kyiv, where she participated in the filming of a cooking show.

Such actions were classified under Part 4 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - the use of a knowingly forged document. This offense is punishable by a fine, arrest or restraint of liberty for up to two years.

As noted by the TV channel, the suspect herself denies the charges. She explains that she was really sick, and that her sick leave certificates were issued by a family doctor from the local municipal clinic in a remote format. The authenticity of these documents is currently being checked.

The MasterChef contestant was among the twenty best amateur chefs in Ukraine in the show's anniversary season.

Earlier in Odesa region, two women were detained for producing fake maritime documents and employing clients as crew members on ships bound for foreign ports. This scheme allowed men of conscription age to travel abroad without obstacles.

Meanwhile, in Kherson region, an employee of one of the ASCs was put in the dock, accused of selling fake certificates of unfitness for military service. The investigation found that from May to September 2024, she and three accomplices organized a scheme to evade registration. In particular, she received $7,000 in her office for helping her friend avoid mobilization.

Анна Бальчінос