The Security Service of Ukraine and the State Bureau of Investigation have caught a lawyer from the Chernihiv Regional Bar Association accepting a bribe. He demanded USD 80,000 from the wife of a suspect accused of organising a draft evasion scheme.

In return for this sum, the lawyer promised her that he would influence the judges and have the pre-trial restrictive measure changed for her husband, who was in custody at the time.

The lawyer then assured the suspect’s wife that he would ‘resolve the matter’ regarding the closure of the criminal proceedings initiated for obstructing the activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during a state of emergency.

The SSU documented the lawyer receiving an ‘advance payment’ and caught him red-handed when he got a part of the bribe.

The lawyer has now been served with a notice of suspicion under Article 369-2.3 of the CCU (abuse of influence, combined with extortion of an unlawful benefit).

The perpetrator is in custody, with the alternative of posting bail in the amount of UAH 3.6 mln.

The investigation is ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the offence. The suspect faces up to 8 years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property.

The operational and investigative activities were carried out under the procedural supervision of the Specialised Defence Prosecutor’s Office.