Students for 1,500 euros: a scheme to evade mobilization was exposed in Transcarpathia

In Transcarpathia, the management of the university was detained, which promised a postponement of the draft for a bribe

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In Transcarpathia, the management of a private university used bribes to register conscripted men for studies so that they would receive a deferment.

Law enforcement officers seized more than 4.5 million hryvnias from the suspects, reported in the Transcarpathian Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

Among those involved are the rector and former vice-rector of a private university, as well as an employee of the military law enforcement service.

The investigation established that they enrolled men in bachelor’s, master’s or postgraduate studies for a monetary reward. Also, the suspects promised fake students to issue a postponement of the draft under the guise of studying abroad.

Part of the withdrawn funds

Transcarpathian Regional Prosecutor’s Office/Facebook

The suspects valued their “services” at approximately 1,500 euros, depending on the circumstances.

According to operational data, more than 200 people managed to use this scheme.

So far, all three suspects have been detained. Precautionary measures were chosen for them in the form of detention with the possibility of making bail in the total amount of over 3 million hryvnias.

Law enforcement officers conducted 14 searches in administrative buildings, as well as in residences and vehicles of the suspects. They seized cash in national and foreign currency in the amount of more than 4.5 million hryvnias, namely more than 47 thousand dollars, 46 thousand euros, and 440 thousand hryvnias.

The police also found draft records with the data of the participants of the scheme, mobile phones and other equipment.

The suspects are charged with obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces during a special period – part 1 of Article 114-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. They face imprisonment for 5 to 8 years.

We will remind you that law enforcement officers are in Kyiv caught for a bribe the adviser to the head of one of the capital’s medical universities, who fictitiously enrolled foreigners to study. For this “service” he received 1,800 dollars.