Deferment scheme was uncovered in Kyiv - member of MMC is involved; quarter of million in foreign currency found
Kyiv • UNN
A neurologist and two accomplices arranged fictitious disability groups for healthy people for $6,000–$10,000. Law enforcement officers documented more than 50 clients and conducted 36 searches.
In Kyiv, authorities exposed a scheme headed by a member of a Military Medical Commission, uncovering more than 50 clients and months of fictitious treatment to arrange disability status for money, the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office and the National Police reported on Tuesday, UNN writes.
A neurologist at one of the capital’s municipal medical facilities, as well as two of his accomplices, have been notified of suspicion. They helped healthy people obtain disability status for money. The price of such assistance ranged from $6,000 to $10,000
"Police established that the illegal arrangement of disability status for persons liable for military service was organized by a neurologist at one of the capital’s hospitals, who is also a member of a Military Medical Commission," - the National Police added .
Law enforcement officers documented the scheme for a year. "To create the appearance of long-term health problems, the clients were gradually provided with the necessary medical history. According to the investigation, over several months, under the organizers’ supervision, a person had to repeatedly visit the required doctors, undergo examinations, including MRI scans, take tests, and arrange admission for inpatient treatment. As a result, a package of medical documents containing information about fictitious illnesses was accumulated and subsequently used to establish disability status," - the Prosecutor’s Office explained the details of the scheme.
The organization of the necessary consultations, examinations, and obtaining medical documents was "according to the investigation, provided by the neurologist".
"At the same time, the "patient" handed over money separately for each document and medical extract. In one documented case, the man was charged UAH 15,000 for an MRI with the required conclusion, UAH 38,000 for one "inpatient treatment," and UAH 20,000 for an extract with a fictitious diagnosis. At the final stage, the patient handed over $3,500 to the commission that made the decision to assign a disability group. Ultimately, the man was granted the third group for a period of one year," - the Prosecutor’s Office continued.
"After all formal stages had been completed, the suspects prepared documents for their subsequent review by expert teams for assessing a person’s everyday functioning (EKOPFO). The scheme participants used the compiled package of documents to establish disability groups for persons liable for military service, which allowed them to obtain a deferment from mobilization," - the National Police stated.
While documenting the suspects’ activities, "it was established that more than 50 people had sought their assistance".
Law enforcement officers conducted 36 searches at the residences and in the vehicles of the scheme’s participants, as well as at medical facilities. They seized more than $300,000, €18,000 and UAH 388,000, 24 mobile phones, computer equipment, medical documentation, and handwritten notes.
The neurologist, as well as his female acquaintance, who passed on the money, and a man who sought clients to obtain disability status for money, were notified of suspicion of abuse of influence (Part 3 of Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine)
The court ordered one suspect to be held in custody with bail set at UAH 500,000, while the other two were placed under nighttime house arrest. The Prosecutor’s Office will appeal the decision.
Law enforcement officers are currently checking the doctors who helped the suspects with fictitious medical documents and are also identifying their clients who were assigned disability status without proper grounds.