The SSU Military Counterintelligence has exposed a deputy of a village council in Ternopil region, who joined the AFU and is now serving in the region, on corruption.

For money, he offered other mobilized servicemen his ‘assistance’ in evading planned rotations to the combat zone.

The investigation documented that the official had made this ‘offer’ to an employee of a local military enlistment office who was to be sent to the frontline.

For USD 6,000, the council member promised the serviceman that he would ‘solve the issue’ with his superiors to ‘postpone’ his departure to the front.

The offender engaged a businessman he knew as an intermediary to pass the bribe.

However, this did not help - the law enforcement detained the suspect and his accomplice ‘red-handed’ when they received the entire bribe in Ternopil.

Based on the collected evidence, both detained persons have been notified of suspicion under Article 369-2.3 of the CCU (abuse of influence). The court has chosen custody as a measure of restraint for the suspects.

The investigation is ongoing. The law enforcement are checking the involvement of the leadership of the military enlistment office in the corruption scheme.

The offenders are facing up to 8 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The operation was carried out jointly with Ternopil unit of the National Police’s Internal Security Department under the procedural supervision of Ternopil Specialized Defence Prosecutor’s Office of the Western Region.