Permits for hazardous work for bribes: a scheme in the State Labor Service exposed in Mykolaiv region
Occupational health and safety exams have been moved to the "paid stream"
In Mykolaiv region, an official of the Southern Interregional Department of the State Labor Service of Ukraine was notified of suspicion of receiving an illicit benefit.
The suspect held the position of first deputy head of the Southern Interregional Department of the State Labor Service and was a member of the commission for testing knowledge on occupational safety. According to law enforcement, at the beginning of 2026 the department’s officials organized a scheme of systematic extortion and receipt of money from business entities and representatives of training centers that conducted occupational safety training.
Investigators believe that in exchange for illicit benefits, trainees at the training centers were provided unobstructed passage of knowledge tests and successful completion of exams without artificial obstacles.
If they refused to pay, scheme participants, according to the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR), could complicate the procedure. Because of this, enterprises risked being left without the necessary permits and would be forced to halt production processes. Such exams are taken by electricians, gas workers, welders, construction workers, high-altitude workers and other specialists whose level of training directly affects the safety of people at production sites. According to operational data, scheme participants could receive approximately UAH 700,000 per month from 5–7 different enterprises.
Law enforcement established that scheme participants distributed roles among the department’s officials, involved intermediaries and used a mechanism to conceal funds. In particular, for the transfer and further distribution of money, investigators say they used an illegal currency exchange point. On May 5, 2026, after another transfer of UAH 428,000 from one of the enterprises, the official was detained.
He was notified of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — receiving an unlawful benefit by an official who holds a responsible position, committed repeatedly. The court imposed a preventive measure on the suspect — detention with the alternative of posting bail in the amount of UAH 1,164,000. He was also suspended from his position.
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. So far, only one of the key participants in the scheme has been detained. After conducting the necessary investigative actions, law enforcement must provide a legal assessment of the actions of all possible participants in the scheme. The article’s sanction provides for punishment of up to 10 years of imprisonment.
Earlier, we wrote:
- In Mykolaiv region a medical commission doctor demanded money from a wounded serviceman for “exemption”
- The head of the TCC was detained on a bribe: “reservation” for employees became a scheme during the war
- DBR suspects the ex-head of the SBU in Mykolaiv region of UAH 22.6 million in illegal enrichment: apartments in Kyiv through his mother-in-law
- $110,000 for a case about links with Russia: SBU employees exposed for taking a bribe
- Bribe for municipal property: an official in Mykolaiv region was caught “red-handed”
