The most high-profile corruption schemes in Odesa region: from fake diplomas to bribes in the judiciary

The Center for Public Investigations recalled the largest corruption scandals in Odesa Oblast that occurred in 2024. They include the detention of several high-ranking officials, exposure of corruption schemes in law enforcement, judicial and medical spheres, as well as in higher education institutions.

This is stated in the material of the CPR.

One of the scandals is the story of Yevhen Borysov, the former head of the Odesa Regional TCC and JV, who was included in the list of the most high-profile bribe-takers. In November 2024, he tried to obtain a disability group, even though corruption scandals in the MSEC were already at their peak. Investigators also found out that Borysov had been dismissed from the Armed Forces for health reasons, which gives him the opportunity to cross the border if no appropriate preventive measure is applied. According to the NACP, he misappropriated UAH 188 million in his position.

The investigation also revealed that Borysov's colleague, the head of the military registration department of the Primorsky RTC, received a million dollars in bribes. He manipulated the data in the electronic database of the Oberig register, changing the statuses of persons liable for military service, falsely declaring them unfit for service. These "services" cost from 4.5 to 7 thousand dollars.

The regional prosecutor's office reported that the head of the village council of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district and two officials of the river water resources department received $40,000 for the transfer of state property - 16 hectares of land along the Odesa-Reni highway - for use. The businessman planned to use the land for a parking lot. For this money, officials promised to transfer the property without an auction and with the right of first refusal.

In Poland, officers of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau detained three teachers of the Odesa-based Collegium Humanum University who tried to buy fake diplomas for 60 people for $40,000. In addition, the rector of this university, Pavel Charnetsky, has already been accused of organizing the issuance of fake diplomas for Polish army officers and civil servants. Czarnecki, along with his relative, former MEP Ryszard Czarnecki, was detained for these charges.

Ukraine has also had its share of corruption scandals. The Odesa National Police reported the detention of two officials who promised to employ a person in one of the district prosecutor's offices in exchange for a bribe of $35,000. At the same time, in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district, MP Anatolii Khmilkivskyi tried to influence local deputies to transfer land plots to an entrepreneur for the construction of a maintenance complex in exchange for $20,000.

Among the detainees were also migration officers who promised to help a Moldovan citizen avoid deportation for $20,000, as well as a conscript who was promised a "fictitious" disability status by anti-corruption activists for $17,000. In Odesa hospitals, doctors were detained for issuing fake medical documents to evade mobilization, where the amounts for their services ranged from $6,000 to $12,000.

In addition, the head of a regional unit of the Antimonopoly Committee was detained for promising to reduce fines for entrepreneurs in exchange for $10,000, as well as a former traffic police officer who promised to employ them in the National Police in exchange for $8,000.

Bolhrad District Court judge Serhiy Vysotskyi incited a citizen to pay a bribe of $4,000, allegedly to be given to judges of the district court of Odesa region. In exchange for this amount, they were supposed to decide to close administrative cases. However, the judge spent the money at his own discretion, according to the police.

Ірина Глухова