The SSU detained a Ukrainian citizen in the attempt of bribing the Verkhovna Rada deputy. The individual promised an annual sum of USD 100,000 for making the necessary amendments and delaying the bill.

The SSU established that the man offering the bribe was heading the organization protecting musicians’ copyright in Ukraine. In fact, this organization collects money from all the venues playing music.

This organization was expected to transfer most of the funds to performers as they have the copyright to their music. However, using his monopoly on the market, the suspect set up several bogus companies. The money was transferred through them; thus performers received a percent derived not from the initial sum, but from sum of the final shell company, which reduced their profits several times.

The draft law No. 5572 ‘On effective management of property rights of copyright holders in the sphere of copyright and (or) related rights’, registered in the Verkhovna Rada, will shut down the mentioned organization. Hence, its head attempted to bribe MPs.

He offered an annual sum of USD 100,000 to one of the proponents of the bill for making the necessary amendments and delaying the vote for indefinite time.

The suspect decided to allocate the initial payment of USD 100,000 from one of the dummy companies. The law enforcement detained the individual in the attempt to bribe a member of Ukrainian parliament through his assistant.

The investigation is on-going to establish all the circumstances of the scam and bring to justice all the individuals involved.

The SSU conducted the operation jointly with the National Police under supervision of Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office.