A deputy head of Ukraine’s central military medical commission has been charged with corruption, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported on Feb. 3.
The suspect allegedly helped conscription-age men evade military service by issuing them fake certificates of unfitness.
SBU employees reportedly caught the official while he was receiving the second half of a $5,000 bribe from a service evader.
Law enforcement found more than Hr 5 million of cash (about $136,000) at the suspect’s home and workplace, according to the report.
The official faces up to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property, the SBU added.
Ukraine has recently stepped up its campaign of investigations and dismissals of its senior officials in the wake of scandals, some of which are corruption-related.
Kyiv has pledged “zero tolerance” to corruption, showing its Western allies, who are sending billions of dollars of military and humanitarian aid, that it is tackling the endemic issue seriously.
But critics question the sincerity of the anti-corruption drive since some notorious top officials accused of corruption are notably missing from the list of those fired or investigated.
Those who keep their jobs include President Volodymyr Zelensky's notorious Deputy Chief of Staff Oleh Tatarov, who was charged with bribery in 2020. Since then, his case has been destroyed by law enforcers, while Tatarov is believed to wield significant influence over most law enforcement bodies.
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