UkrZaliznytsia official caught receiving $100,000 bribe - Prosecutor General
Kyiv • UNN
The deputy director of the department demanded money for dismantling a railway track in Khmelnytskyi region. He faces up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
The Deputy Director of the Environmental Safety Department of JSC "Ukrzaliznytsia" was detained while receiving a bribe of 100 thousand dollars, which he demanded for resolving the issue of track write-off. This was reported by Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko on social networks, writes UNN.
The Deputy Director of the Environmental Safety Department of JSC "Ukrzaliznytsia" demanded one hundred thousand US dollars from a representative of a granite production enterprise in Khmelnytskyi region to "resolve the issue" of dismantling and writing off a railway track that was hindering the expansion of production.
According to him, the scheme was well-thought-out: first, to initiate a "seasonal inspection" so that the commission would deem the track unprofitable, then – dismantling, write-off, and exclusion from registers. It also involved transferring the land under the track to the community for the needs of the quarry.
"The official assured that the procedure was complex and required approvals from the management of "UZ", the Ministry of Infrastructure, and relevant departments. Instead, he promised to organize the entire process "turnkey" within 3-6 months and referred to the experience of similar work on the Lviv railway," the Prosecutor General's statement reads.
The official demanded cash upfront for the work. He was detained at the moment of receiving the money. During a personal search, cash and a handwritten receipt were seized.
Searches were also conducted at the official's home, workplace, and car.
Suspicion has been announced under Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - receiving an unlawful benefit on a particularly large scale. The "UZ" official faces 8 to 12 years with confiscation of property.
As Ruslan Kravchenko reported, a petition for detention has already been submitted to the court.
"The investigation is ongoing. We are checking other possible episodes and involved persons," the Prosecutor General added.