In Kirovohrad region, the SBU detained three deputies of Village Council for possessing unregistered firearms. The guns with live ammos and silencers were seized.

The information on possible usage of the weapons to destabilize the situation in the region on the eve of the Independence Day of Ukraine is being checked.

During the investigation into involvement of the deputies in systemic corruption, law enforcement officers exposed the fact of illegal possession of weapons.

Among the organizers of the illegal activities is the head of the regional branch of a political party.

Allegedly, the deputies set up a corrupt mechanism for receiving money from citizens, including entrepreneurs.

The participants of the scheme extorted USD 60.000 from the head of a commercial entity engaged in energy supply, who is suspected of tax evasion in especially large amounts.

For the money, the perpetrators promised the entrepreneur assistance in closing the relevant proceedings and avoiding criminal liability.

The law enforcement officers detained two malefactors on receiving the entire amount of the bribe. The issues of serving them the suspicion papers and choosing a type of detention are being settled.

The investigation is ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the case and prosecute other perpetrators. Involvement in illegal activity of officials of regional divisions of fiscal and tax services is being checked.

The seized weapons were sent for examination.

The operation was carried out by the SBU Office in the Kirovohrad region jointly with investigators of the Territorial Office of the State Bureau of Investigation, located in Mykolaiv city, under the supervision of the Kirovohrad Regional Prosecutor's Office.