Traders unfit for mobilization to be tried in Odesa region

Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation have sent to court the case of participants in a corruption scheme in Odesa region who organized the registration of men's unfitness for military service for money.

According to the SBI press service, the scheme was organized by a local resident who involved an employee of the Service Support Center of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, an employee of the Prymorskyi District Center for Recruitment and Social Support, and two other unemployed acquaintances.

The civilian accomplices searched for those wishing to avoid military service and offered them to be removed from the military register for USD 12-16 thousand, while the officials forged data for exemption from service. The scheme involved 10 people.

Law enforcement officers detained the offenders while they were receiving the second part of the bribe from one of their clients in the amount of USD 6 thousand.

All participants in the scheme pleaded guilty to receiving an illegal benefit for influencing the decision-making of another person authorized to perform state functions, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy (Article 28(2), Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The sanction of the article provides for a sentence of up to 5 years in prison, however, a plea bargain with the prosecutor may help the accused avoid actual punishment. For example, in July, the Primorskyi Court of Odesa approved a plea agreement between the driver of the training vessel unit of the Institute of Naval Forces of the National University "Odesa Maritime Academy" and the prosecutor regarding the bribery. He received a bribe of UAH 124,820 from the wife of a military officer, who acted under the control of law enforcement agencies. The article under which he was accused provided for a fine or imprisonment of two to five years, but the plea agreement with the investigation helped the man to limit himself to a fine.

Кирило Бойко