$16,000 for a deferment – a soldier has been arrested in the Lviv region on suspicion of producing forged documents
Officers from the State Bureau of Investigations, in collaboration with the Security Service of Ukraine, have exposed and arrested a staff sergeant from one of the special-purpose law enforcement agencies in the Lviv region.
According to the investigation, the officer was helping conscripts obtain deferrals from mobilisation in exchange for money.
In one instance, the suspect offered to arrange a deferment for a man wanted by one of Lviv’s Territorial Recruitment Centres and Military Registration and Enlistment Offices in exchange for 16,000 US dollars.
Investigators documented that, without the conscript being present in person, his place of military registration was changed. He was registered at one of the military registration and enlistment offices in Volyn Oblast.
After this, the man submitted documents via the Administrative Services Centre in Lviv Oblast, and the very next day, information about the deferment appeared in the ‘Reserve+’ app.
The conscript was detained immediately after receiving the money.
He was informed of the charges against him under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 3 of Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The charges relate to abuse of influence.
The penalty under this article provides for up to eight years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property.
The court imposed a preventive measure on the suspect in the form of detention pending trial, with the possibility of bail.
The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) reported that the investigation is ongoing, and law enforcement officers are identifying others who may be involved in the scheme.
The Lviv Specialised Prosecutor’s Office for the Western Region is overseeing the proceedings in the case.
