500 liters of diesel fuel for removal from the wanted list: Odesa enlistment office official to stand trial

In Odesa, the case against the head of a department at the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center (TRC), who is accused of influence peddling, has been sent to court. The report came from the Main Directorate of the National Police in Odesa region (od.npu.gov.ua).

The request to the official concerned a man who was wanted by the TRC for violating military registration rules. He planned to take a job at a company to obtain a reservation from mobilization. A representative of the company came to find out how to pay the fine on his behalf.

According to investigators, the department head offered, in exchange for a reward, to arrange with officials at the district TRC to have the man removed from the wanted list. In return for this assistance, the official demanded fuel coupons for 500 liters of diesel, worth a total of nearly UAH 45,000.

The company representative contacted law enforcement, after which police and Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) officers documented the official’s actions. He was detained after the coupons were handed over to his subordinate. Police said the subordinate was unaware of his manager’s intentions. The coupons were seized as evidence.

The court ordered the accused to be held in custody, with the option of posting bail in the amount of UAH 599,040. The official exercised this option and paid the set amount.

The charges were brought under Part 2 of Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—abuse of influence. The maximum penalty under this provision is five years in prison.

We previously reported:

• Bribery case: Mykolaiv TRC head released from detention after posting UAH 2.33 million bail
• TRC court case in Mykolaiv: UAH 105,000 fine for a $2,400 bribe
• In Odesa, TRC officer took fuel coupons as a bribe for influencing the military medical commission: court imposes a fine
• Odesa official caught “selling” exemptions from mobilization
• “I’ll sort it out for $6,500”: Odesa TRC commander caught taking a bribe to remove draft evader from wanted list