A member of Ukraine’s parliament was charged with fraud after promising a foreigner his assistance in avoiding extradition for $50,000, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported on June 30.
The lawmaker allegedly offered to use his sources in court to make the State Migration Service reverse its decision on refusing the foreigner refugee status in Ukraine.
The SBU officers reportedly caught the lawmaker red-handed receiving $30,000 as the second tranche of the financial reward.
If convicted, the parliament’s deputy may face up to 12 years in prison.
According to Ukrainska Pravda’s sources in law enforcement, the suspect is Serhii Alieksieiev, an MP from the Yevropeiska Solidarnist (European Solidarity) party.
The party confirmed that the SBU had searched Alieksieiev, calling it “continued provocations and pressure on our representatives.”
It claimed that the law enforcement agencies had repeatedly searched other party members as well as allegedly attempted “to pressure and intimidate their families.”
