In Odessa, a 65-year-old doctor from a private clinic was reported suspected of a corruption scheme to "help" conscripts. For $7,000, he promised to issue certificates through his connections in medical institutions and the Central Military Commission that would allow him to evade mobilization into the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office informs about the suspicion of the doctor.
The investigation established that the doctor offered the 26-year-old man to "resolve the issue" with a deferral from conscription. According to law enforcement, he assured that through personal contacts in healthcare institutions and the territorial recruitment and social support center, he would be able to issue documents about the conscript's supposedly sick mother. Such papers were to become the basis for granting him a deferral from mobilization as a person caring for a sick relative.
The doctor estimated the price of his services at 7 thousand US dollars. According to the agreement, the "client" was to transfer part of the amount immediately as an advance, and the rest - after the documents were fully processed. During a personal meeting, the doctor received the first tranche - 4 thousand dollars. Immediately after transferring the money, he was detained by law enforcement officers.
According to the prosecutor's office, the doctor's actions are classified as extortion and receiving an unlawful benefit for influencing a decision-making process by a person authorized to perform state functions (Part 3, Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). This is a crime in the field of so-called "trading in influence," when the defendant promises to "agree" with officials for money.
The investigation is currently ongoing, identifying possible other episodes and individuals who may have been involved in the scheme. Law enforcement officers are also checking whether the medic has previously managed to provide similar "services" for other conscripts.
The prosecutor's office emphasizes that under martial law, attempts to profit from citizens' desire to avoid service are considered especially dangerous, and the public outcry surrounding such cases only strengthens the demands for the inevitability of punishment.
