$620,000 for "protection": a major scandal among the SBU's top brass
SBU shakes up its own generals: senior officials detained for million-dollar bribes
On Monday, March 16, People’s Deputy of Ukraine Oleksiy Honcharenko announced a large-scale anti-corruption operation within the Security Service of Ukraine. According to him, internal security officers of the SBU detained several senior officials of the agency, who are suspected of extorting money from entrepreneurs connected to amber mining in the Rivne region, as well as in the “resolving” of criminal cases for large sums. He published the information on his Telegram channel.
“The SBU’s internal security service has dismantled a large-scale scheme for extorting money from amber miners in the Rivne region. Caught red-handed was Oleg Tokarchuk — deputy head of the SBU’s Main Directorate in Kyiv city and Kyiv region, Ihor Bryk — deputy head of the SBU Department in Rivne region, Andriy Avdiievskyi — a middleman and cashier of the scheme, and also O. Yakobchuk — deputy head of the investigative department of the SBU’s Main Directorate. According to sources, they demanded $620,000 to close a criminal case against the group of companies “Amber Galbin”, they took $400 daily from each operating pump, and Yakobchuk was detained while receiving $60,000 to close the proceeding.”
According to the MP, the detention of Colonel I. Bryk is linked to the extortion $620,000 U.S. dollars for permit documents for amber extraction. Also, on the same day, according to his sources, law enforcement officers detained the deputy head of the SBU’s Main Directorate in Kyiv city and Kyiv region Oleg Tokarchuk, and also — the deputy head of the investigative department of the SBU’s Main Directorate O. Yakobchuk. The latter was allegedly exposed while receiving $60,000 U.S. dollars to close the criminal case.
Earlier we wrote:
- Officials in Mykolaiv region suspected of systematic extortion from farmers
- Logistics commander of the Air Force and the head of the SBU in Zhytomyr region detained for bribery
- Wounded from the front — and a “price list” in the ward: doctor demanded 30,000 hryvnias from a defender
- Medical certificate “turnkey”: official in Mykolaiv district caught over $8,500
- Sitting Servant of the People MP sent to a cell after the court verdict
