Large-scale mobilization evasion scheme involving judges exposed in Odesa region
Kyiv • UNN
The SBU exposed an 8-member criminal group headed by the chairman of the Odesa City District Court. The group used fake court decisions on childcare to illegally travel abroad.
In Odesa region, the head of one of the city district courts was exposed, who, together with his accomplices, was making money on evaders.
This was reported by the SBU, UNN wrote.
Details
The SBU and the NABU dismantled a large-scale mobilization evasion scheme in one of the city district courts of Odesa region. According to the case, the offenders helped the evaders to escape abroad through fake court decisions on independent upbringing of a child by a parent liable for military service
The operation lasted more than a year and led to the exposure of eight members of the organized criminal group, including the head of the court, two judges, the deputy head of his staff, as well as lawyers and other persons who helped the fugitives.
In particular, judges made deliberately falsified decisions that gave evaders grounds to travel abroad under the pretext of sole childcare. The cost of the “service” was 3.5 thousand dollars per conscript.
It is reported that lawyers and their assistants were involved in the search for clients, offering on social media an allegedly legal way for conscripts to travel abroad.
For the purpose of conspiracy, the defendants held “business” meetings with potential recruits in the office of a local law firm. There, they discussed mechanisms for unjustified deferment from mobilization and the amount of payment for the services of an organized group
Documents, mobile phones and computers with evidence of the fraud were seized during searches in the administrative building of the court and in the private offices of the defendants.
Law enforcers served suspicion notices to the head of the court and seven of his accomplices under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, including illegal border crossing and obtaining undue advantage. In addition, three judges were additionally disciplined in the form of a motion for their dismissal. The defendants face up to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property.