Odesa Soldier Arrested for Bribery to Help Military Evaders

Law enforcement officers detained a soldier of a district territorial center for recruitment and social support in Odesa who received a bribe for removing a client from the wanted list.

According to the Main Directorate of the National Police in Odesa region, a 29-year-old soldier of one of the Odesa district recruitment and social support centers was spreading information among his friends that in exchange for a monetary reward he could influence colleagues and help men liable for military service to avoid mobilization into the Armed Forces.

During the investigation, law enforcement officers documented how the serviceman promised two men of military age to help them remove their wanted status. The service cost $500 for one client from Odesa, and twice as much for the second, who was registered in the region.

Police investigators detained the soldier while he was receiving money from the Odesa resident. The police seized $500, a cell phone, documentation and other items of interest to the investigation as material evidence.

Having gathered sufficient evidence, investigators served the suspect a notice of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, namely, obtaining an undue advantage for influencing the decision-making of a person authorized to perform state functions, combined with extortion of undue advantage. At the request of the investigators, the court imposed on the suspect a custodial measure of restraint with the right to be released on bail in the amount of UAH 242.2 thousand.

According to the current legislation, the offender faces up to eight years in prison with confiscation of property.

Кирило Бойко