In Dnipropetrovsk Region, police detained a lieutenant colonel in the Ukrainian Armed Forces on suspicion of taking 20% of the reward payments for destroying enemy equipment.
The National Police reported this.
The officer at a military unit allegedly demanded that the command of one of the units hand over to him each month one fifth of the reward amounts paid to service personnel for destroying enemy equipment.
For September, the troops were paid UAH 1.9 million. From this sum, the lieutenant colonel demanded UAH 380,000.
The lieutenant colonel served as secretary of a working group that reviewed materials to confirm the destruction or capture of enemy equipment. He was involved in processing documents for the payment of rewards.
If they refused to hand over the money, he allegedly threatened to obstruct the paperwork required for the payments.
On 5 November, operatives from the Strategic Investigations Department in Dnipropetrovsk Region, together with investigators from the regional police and the SBU’s military counter-intelligence, detained the lieutenant colonel immediately after he received UAH 380,000.
The official was detained under Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine and was served with a notice of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 368 (Acceptance of an offer, promise or receipt of an unlawful benefit by an official) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. He has been remanded in custody with the right to post bail of UAH 998,400.
The sanction provides for a penalty of up to ten years’ imprisonment, with disqualification from holding certain posts or engaging in certain activities for up to three years, and confiscation of property.