Ex-Head of State Border Service served suspicion notice for systemic bribery for unhindered border crossings
The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) have exposed top officials of the State Border Service of Ukraine in systematic bribery: the former head of the State Border Service of Ukraine, the head of the checkpoint department, and a former official of the State Border Service were notified of suspicion.
The SAPO reported this in its Telegram channel on Thursday.
"Under the procedural guidance of the SAPO prosecutor, detectives reported suspicion to a former top official and a current official of the State Border Service of Ukraine, who were exposed in the systematic receipt of illegal benefits for facilitating the unhindered crossing of the state border," the SAPO said.
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office clarifies that these are: a general, former Head of the State Border Service of Ukraine; head of the checkpoint department of the State Border Service; a former official of the State Border Service.
The actions of the suspects were qualified under Part 4 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
"As part of the pre-trial investigation, it was established that in 2023, with the assistance of officials of the State Border Service, a group of persons organized the illegal transportation of cigarettes across the state border of Ukraine to the EU.", - the SAPO notes.
According to the report, for their illegal activities, these persons used vehicles registered in the Czech Republic and Austria, on which special license plates similar to diplomatic ones were installed.
"The passengers of such cars were holders of diplomatic passports - family members of Ukrainian diplomats in Europe. This made it possible to avoid inspection of cars by border and customs authorities of EU countries," the SAPO said.
According to the anti-corruption prosecutor’s office, in turn, officials of the State Border Service ensured unhindered crossing of the border from/to Ukraine.
"It is documented that border guards received about EUR 204,000 of illegal benefits during July - November 2023 for the passage of 68 cars (EUR 3,000 for each vehicle)," the report states.
In addition, the investigation found that officials of the State Border Service previously served with diplomats, whose relatives later became participants in this scheme.
Earlier, the Ukrainska Pravda (UP) ezine reported, citing its own sources, that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office are conducting searches at the home of the former head of the State Border Service, Serhiy Deineko.
"According to UP sources, investigative actions are being conducted within the framework of a case of illegal benefits related to cigarette smuggling," the report of "Ukrainska Pravda" on its website said on Thursday.
On January 4, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Serhiy Deineko from the post of Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.