Odesa enlistment, law enforcement officers investigated over forcing man into car
Military enlistment and law enforcement officers in Odesa are under investigation over forceful behavior toward a man who was allegedly refusing military service summons, the State Bureau of Investigation reported on Nov. 15.
Videos shared on Odesa Telegram channels on Nov. 14 showed employees of the military enlistment office and law enforcement officers handcuffing a man and forcibly pushing him into a car for allegedly refusing to accept the summons.
The incident was said to have taken place in the presence of the man's wife and child, as well as other witnesses, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
The officers are under criminal investigation for acting outside the scope of their official powers.
In October, enlistment officers in Ternopil were charged over forcibly taking a local resident to the enlistment office. The man was then reportedly subjected to physical violence by the enlistment office staff.
Other cases of abuse and corruption in military enlistment offices have been reported throughout the full-scale war.
On Nov. 1, the Bureau uncovered a widespread scheme in which regional military enlistment offices received bribes in exchange for helping people evade mobilization.
An earlier inspection in August also revealed multiple violations, including corruption, abuse of power, and fraud, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to fire the heads of all regional military enlistment offices.
The inspection was prompted by the case of Yevhen Borysov, the former head of the Odesa military enlistment office, who was charged with illicitly obtaining property worth $4.5 million in Spain at the time of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Martin Fornusek
