€17,000 for a diagnosis and travel abroad – scheme to evade conscription exposed
In the Ternopil region, law enforcement officers have uncovered a scheme involving the issuance of fake medical certificates to obtain deferrals from conscription and to travel abroad illegally.
According to the investigation, residents of the Chernivtsi and Ternopil regions were involved in the scheme, including a TB specialist at one of Chernivtsi’s medical facilities.
Investigators established that the doctor, together with her accomplices, issued medical reports containing false diagnoses of active pulmonary tuberculosis. Such documents allowed men to obtain the status of being temporarily unfit for military service and to secure deferrals from conscription.
According to law enforcement, another participant in the scheme was responsible for finding clients among men of conscription age.
The cost of producing the fake medical documents ranged from 5,000 to 14,000 euros. According to the prosecution, the suspects charged 4,000 euros for issuing a false diagnosis.
Separately, according to the investigation, the suspects offered to organise illegal travel abroad. During meetings, they agreed on routes and coordinated actions for crossing the state border. The cost of such services was 13,300 euros.
On 5 May, operatives from the Strategic Investigations Department in the Ternopil region, police investigators and members of the special police unit detained the organiser of the scheme and his accomplice whilst they were receiving €13,300 in illicit gains.
During searches in the Ternopil and Chernivtsi regions, law enforcement officers seized mobile phones, cash, medical records, computer equipment, stamps and draft notes.
The organiser of the scheme and his accomplice have been notified of their status as suspects under Part 3 of Article 368 and Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The doctor has been notified of her status as a suspect under Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The issue of imposing preventive measures on the suspects is currently being decided.
The investigation was conducted by operatives from the National Police’s Strategic Investigations Department in conjunction with staff from the Security Service of Ukraine, under the procedural supervision of the Ternopil Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
In accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
