SSU catches head of Zhytomyr region military medical commission ‘in the act’: official organized draft evasion scheme
In Zhytomyr, the SSU shut down another channel used by citizens of military age to illegally leave Ukraine.
The head of the region’s military medical commission, acting in collusion with accomplices - employees of the regional military enlistment office, a lawyer and an official of a local hospital, is behind the scheme.
For money, these persons offered potential conscripts fake medical certificates of unfitness for military service for health reasons.
The offenders entered non-existent severe diagnoses in the counterfeit documents, which allowed the men to evade conscription and leave Ukraine.
The cost of such ‘services’ ranged from USD 2,500 to 5,000, depending on the urgency of the ‘order’.
The participants in the scheme had a clear division of ‘duties’ and divided the money among themselves after each transaction.
The lawyer, for example, looked for potential ‘clients’, the military medical commission head and the official from a medical institution falsified medical certificates, while employees of the regional military enlistment office ‘accompanied the clients’ in their institution.
The SSU documented all the offences committed by the group.
The law enforcement detained the head of the military medical commission, the lawyer and the official of a medical institution ‘red-handed’ after they received a bribe from a draft evader.
During the searches at the suspects’ homes and offices, the law enforcement found over USD 35,000 and documents with evidence of the crimes.
The detained individuals have been notified of suspicion under two Articles of the CCU:
- 368.3 (acceptance of an offer, promise or receipt of an unlawful benefit by an official);
- 332.3 (illegal transfer of persons across Ukraine’s state border).
The suspects are in custody. The investigation is ongoing to bring to justice all those involved in the scheme.
The operation was carried out by the SSU Office in Zhytomyr region jointly with the National Police under the procedural supervision of Zhytomyr Specialized Defence Prosecutor’s Office of the Central Region.
