In Kyiv, the SSU conducted a special operation and caught two employees of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) red-handed while giving a bribe. At the request of a businessman, they were to bribe an employee of prosecutor’s office to ‘resolve an issue’.

According to findings, these SBI employees systematically lobbied interests of real estate developers and helped entrepreneurs to conduct business.

They disguised their illegal activities as their official duties to expose corrupt law enforcement and civil servants and forced officials to overlook the violations of their ‘clients’. In case of refusal, the SBI officers created conditions to give bribes.

The SSU documented one of such episodes. Perpetrators asked an employee of the prosecutor’s office to lift seizure of a land plot and close the case. In return, they offered to pay USD 5,000.

The SSU detained the perpetrators and served a notice of suspicion of abuse of influence and provocation of bribery.

The investigation is underway to establish their involvement in other offences and identify all those engaged in the scam.

The operation was carried out by the SSU Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime and Main Investigation Directorate under the supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office.