Military official arrested for fraud, aiding criminals, faces 12-year prison sentence
A military official has been apprehended by investigators from the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) for fraud and aiding local criminal authorities, the bureau’s press service announced on August 4.
The arrested man formerly held a position at a Zaporizhzhya territorial military recruitment center.
From July to December 2022, the individual dispatched his close subordinates to a combat brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to carry out combat missions.
However, an investigation revealed that these personnel were stationed in the conflict zone but were operating on a flexible schedule, behaving more like they were on vacation rather than participating in active military operations.
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The official allegedly fabricated documents claiming these servicemen were involved in combat actions, leading to them being provided with fraudulent combat allowances totaling 981,300 hryvnias ($27,000).
One of the subordinates utilized these documents to claim financial aid of 700,000 hryvnias ($19,000) due to a supposed disability resulting from combat activities.
Additionally, the head of the military recruitment center appointed representatives of a local criminal group to work at the center, aiming to help them evade legal proceedings for serious crimes. He also assisted one of them in getting removed from military records to facilitate their departure abroad.
Read also: Odesa’s ex-draft commissioner illegally “earns” $5.1 million, says anti-graft agency
Searches were conducted at the military official’s residences and workplaces in Zaporizhzhya and Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast. He has been informed of the suspicion of abuse of power during a state of war, which carries a penalty of up to 12 years in prison.
In a separate case, charges were announced against Yevhen Borysov, the former head of the recruitment center in Odesa Oblast, who was apprehended in Kyiv on July 24. Authorities suspect him of illegal enrichment amounting to 188 million hryvnias ($5.1 million) and violations of military service regulations during his tenure.
During the investigation, authorities discovered luxurious vehicles, a seaside villa, and an office property in Spain owned by Borysov’s relatives.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the case, stating that checks are currently underway involving the heads of territorial recruitment centers at all levels.
The National Agency on Corruption Prevention specified that this process may take up to three months.
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