Demanded "kickbacks" from payments for fallen soldiers: a corruption scheme exposed in Zaporizhzhia
Kyiv • UNN
A scheme of extorting money from families of fallen Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers has been exposed in Zaporizhzhia. An official from the Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) and her husband demanded up to 50% of the one-time assistance and a portion of monthly payments for expedited processing of state benefits.
In Zaporizhzhia, a scheme of extorting money from the families of fallen Armed Forces of Ukraine soldiers was exposed. For expedited processing of state payments, the perpetrators demanded up to 50% of the one-time assistance and a portion of monthly payments. A local TCC official and her husband, a former military serviceman and head of public organizations in Poltava region, are involved in the crime. This was reported by the Security Service of Ukraine, according to UNN.
Details
According to the case materials, in exchange for processing posthumous payments from the state, the perpetrators demanded 50% of the one-time assistance from the budget from the parents of the deceased, and then regular "kickbacks" from monthly payments. The fact of extorting money from the wife of a serviceman of the 66th separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who died in the Pokrovsk direction, has been documented.
As the investigation established, the crime was organized by "a former military serviceman, now the founder of several public organizations in Poltava region, and his wife, a TCC official in Zaporizhzhia."
While serving as the head of the psychological support department at the military enlistment office, the woman collected data on the parents of fallen soldiers. She then passed the contacts of the affected families to her husband in Poltava, who called them and offered quick processing of state payments.
In case of refusal, he threatened to create artificial obstacles during the consideration of documents for receiving monetary compensation. To do this, he boasted to the victims about his connections in the command of military units, who "can generally 'cancel' the payment of assistance."
During searches, another 19 packages of documentation from other families who lost loved ones at the front, as well as contacts of victims and cash in various currencies totaling almost 50 thousand US dollars, were found with the detainee.
Currently, the perpetrator has been notified of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (offer, promise or provision of unlawful benefit to an official, committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons). The perpetrator faces up to 8 years in prison with confiscation of property. The investigation is ongoing to bring his accomplice and other persons involved in the "scheme" to justice.