On November 21, 2024, employees of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) detained one of the intermediaries who demanded money from conscripts at checkpoints in the Odesa region. Employees of the Odesa District Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support (TCC) organized a corruption scheme, according to which they promised a postponement of mobilization for 4.5 thousand US dollars.
How did the scheme work?
Workers of the TCC stopped the men at checkpoints, recorded their personal data and informed them of the intention to send them to the territorial center for mobilization. However, for a certain amount of money - from 4.5 thousand US dollars - they promised to "release" the men and help arrange a deferment from service.
Officials acted especially cynically when men who had relatives among the missing during combat missions got to them. Such persons had the right to a legal reprieve, but TCC employees tried to take advantage of their position for their own benefit.
Law enforcement officers documented the fact of extorting money from one of the men. On November 21, 2024, while receiving money for "service", an intermediary was detained. Currently, the issue of detaining other participants in the scheme is being resolved. The detainee has already been notified of the suspicion of receiving an illegal benefit by an official (Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code). The sanction of this article provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of up to 10 years.
During the search of one of the persons involved in the case, he took out a service weapon and, pointing it at the DBR employees, threatened them. He even switched the firearm to a combat position and demanded the return of the seized mobile phone. For these actions, he was informed of the suspicion of attempted murder of law enforcement officers (Article 348 of the Criminal Code), which can lead to life imprisonment.
