In Dnipropetrovsk region, the Security Service of Ukraine, jointly with the National Police, detained a lieutenant colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine suspected of extorting money from servicemen for processing rewards for destroyed Russian equipment. The official demanded 20% of the payments, the SBU reported on November 14, UNN writes.
Details
According to the special service, the SBU’s military counterintelligence, jointly with the National Police and with the assistance of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, uncovered a scheme to extort money from payments to servicemen for striking enemy targets.
According to the investigation, the scheme was organized by a senior officer of the group for studying and implementing experience in managing unmanned systems at one of the Armed Forces’ military units. Investigators established that the lieutenant colonel demanded 20% of the monetary reward from subordinates, which they received for destroying Russian equipment. In return, the official promised to ensure the unhindered processing of the documents required for the respective payments to be made.
According to the case materials, the total amount of rewards to servicemen was nearly UAH 2 million. Of these funds, the suspect planned to receive approximately UAH 380,000. SBU officers documented the official’s illegal activities and detained him near the temporary deployment point of Ukrainian troops after he received the entire amount of the undue benefit.
The lieutenant colonel has now been notified of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (acceptance of an undue benefit by an official). The court imposed pre-trial detention on the suspect. If found guilty, he faces up to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property.
To remind
It was previously reported that SAPO and NABU exposed the former head of the territorial department of the Military Law and Order Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for extorting $2.2 million and real estate in exchange for assistance with construction.