SBU officials exposed for pressuring business served with suspicion of bribery - PGO
Under procedural guidance of prosecutors of Office of Prosecutor General, deputy head of Main Directorate of State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Kyiv and Kyiv region, deputy head of SBU Directorate in Rivne region, and a civilian intermediary detained for extorting money have been served with notices of suspicion, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko reported.
All three men are charged with receiving an improper advantage on an especially large scale (Part 4 of Article 368 of Criminal Code of Ukraine), Prosecutor General noted on Telegram channel on Tuesday.
According to him, the civilian intermediary is additionally charged with complicity in receiving an improper advantage (Part 5 of Article 27 of Criminal Code of Ukraine).
SBU officials organized a mechanism of pressure on business. They received improper advantages from enterprises for resolving their "problematic issues," Kravchenko emphasized.
He stressed that the official of Main Directorate of SBU in Kyiv and Kyiv region "used criminal proceedings as a source of illegal enrichment," and involved a civilian person as an intermediary to communicate with business and coordinate transfer of cash.
According to Prosecutor General, it was established that during meetings in Rivne region, entrepreneurs were quoted a sum of $600,000 as a so-called "tariff for quiet work."
In exchange, they promised to close criminal proceedings, change qualification of the case, and refrain from further interference in business activities, Prosecutor General noted.
He explained that receipt of improper advantage took place in stages: on March 6 in Kyiv, first tranche of $50,000 was handed over "as confirmation of seriousness of intentions."
After this, businessmen were provided with a "road map" for resolving their problems in criminal proceedings. On March 16, second tranche of $250,000 was handed over in a restaurant in Kyiv region, Prosecutor General specified.
Separately, according to Kravchenko, deputy head of SBU Directorate in Rivne region was exposed for receiving over $22,000 from an entrepreneur through the same intermediary to ensure unimpeded amber mining.
In total, law enforcement officers documented receipt of over $322,000.
"Tariff" for impunity did not work in this story. All three participants were detained, and funds were seized. Defendants face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property, Prosecutor General summarized.
Operational support in the case was provided by Main Directorate of Internal Security of SBU. Investigation is ongoing.