A scheme involving the falsification of disability claims to evade conscription has been uncovered in Volyn
In Volyn, law enforcement officers have uncovered an organised group whose members are suspected of illegally issuing fictitious medical diagnoses and disability classifications for men liable for military service.
According to the National Police, the scheme was organised by a businesswoman and a former military serviceman. Doctors of various specialisations from medical institutions in the region and members of the expert team assessing a person’s daily functioning were also involved in the activities.
Investigators believe that the group’s members created fictitious medical histories, produced forged medical documents, organised sham treatment and entered false data into the electronic medical system.
The ‘clients’ were then referred to doctors and medical institutions under the group’s control to obtain the assessments required to establish disability categories.
According to police, the cost of such services ranged from 8,000 to 15,000 dollars. It has been preliminarily established that the suspects may have illegally secured disability status for at least 20 men liable for military service and obtained around 300,000 dollars in illicit gains.
Law enforcement officials also stated that the organiser of the scheme used the funds received to launder money. According to the investigation, she purchased an Audi Q7 and a Porsche Macan with a total value of around $100,000.
The organiser and her accomplice were arrested whilst receiving another instalment of illicit gains amounting to $4,000.
During 17 searches, law enforcement officers seized $9,600, 584,000 hryvnias, over €3,700, an Audi Q7, medical seals, documentation, laptops, mobile phones and draft notes.
The organiser and her two accomplices have now been notified of their status as suspects under Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, ‘Abuse of influence’. They have been detained in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.
Law enforcement officials have reported that further investigative measures are ongoing to identify other participants in the scheme.
The investigation is being conducted under the procedural supervision of the Volyn Regional Prosecutor’s Office. Officers from the Security Service of Ukraine were also involved in exposing the scheme.
The police reminded the public that, in accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven in accordance with the law and established by a court conviction.
