In Mykolaiv, officials from the State Labor Service were brought to trial on bribery charges

Prosecutors in Mykolaiv have filed an indictment against four participants in a corruption scheme, including officials from the Southern Interregional Directorate of the State Labor Service. According to law enforcement officials, the defendants organized the sale of certificates confirming successful completion of occupational safety exams without verifying the examinees’ knowledge.

This was reported by the Mykolaiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office. 

The defendants’ actions have been classified as accepting a proposal, promise, or receiving an unlawful benefit by a public official, as well as official forgery. They face up to 10 years in prison, along with confiscation of property and disqualification from holding certain positions.

As noted by the prosecutor’s office, one of the heads of the State Labor Service department organized the criminal scheme. According to prosecutors, he headed a special commission responsible for assessing knowledge. He enlisted a subordinate official and two directors of occupational safety training centers in the illegal activities, one of whom acted as an intermediary.

According to law enforcement, the training institutions were supposed to provide actual training for workers, while the State Labor Service commission was supposed to assess their level of training. Instead, the participants in the scheme systematically drew up reports containing knowingly false information about the workers’ alleged successful completion of exams. Based on these documents, the workers received official certificates and authorization to perform high-risk work without actually taking the exams.

According to the prosecution, between February and April 2026, the commission chair received over 420,000 hryvnias in illicit benefits from representatives of educational institutions through an intermediary. In May of that year, prosecutors and law enforcement officials shut down the group’s operations.

Юлія Калабайда