Threats, beatings and kidnappings: police expose Ternopil region’s TCR "gang" that "earned" up to $150 thousand per month. PHOTOS
The police found that the five suspects had clearly divided roles among themselves, setting up corrupt schemes to avoid mobilisation. They even resorted to threats, beatings and kidnapping to force conscripts to pay. During the investigation, the police collected new evidence of their illegal activities as part of an organised criminal group.
This was reported by the Communication Department of the Ternopil Regional Police, Censor.NET reports.
Law enforcement officers established that the head of the local TCR organised the corruption scheme. Four other people were involved in the case, three of them were employees of the recruitment centre, and one was a former military serviceman.
Members of the criminal organization demanded and received illegal benefits for solving issues to avoid mobilisation by persons liable for military service: failure to pass the MMC, updating military data, obtaining a determent from military service. The offenders' monthly "earnings" ranged from $100,000 to $150,000. The organiser and assistants divided the money between themselves. The amount of the "salary" depended on the tasks performed.
The criminal plan was exposeed by the Criminal Investigation Department and investigators of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Ternopil region with the assistance of the leadership of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces.
As a reminder, the police served the head of the corruption scheme with a notice of suspicion during a meeting with the heads of the TCR and the SS, which took place at the Ternopil Regional Military Administration.
"This was done preventively so that everyone understood that the police would not turn a blind eye to such things. Because if everything had gone on as usual implementation, few people would have dawned it," Serhii Zyubanenko, head of the Ternopil Regional Police, said at a briefing with journalists on Friday, 2 August.
On 24 July, following the announcement of suspicion, the court imposed a pre-trial restraint on the defendants with the right to be released on bail in the amount of UAH 242,000, and they took advantage of this opportunity. However, the investigators and criminal police officers did not stop their work, and in the course of the pre-trial investigation, they found new details in the case.
According to Andrii Tkachyk, deputy head of the Ternopil regional police, there are currently six people who, according to the law, were not subject to mobilisation. However, the suspects also threatened and intimidated them, demanding money.
"The police appeal to citizens who have suffered from these individuals to contact the Main Department of National Police or the territorial police units at their place of residence so that we can establish an objective number of victims. I am sure there will be many more," said Andrii Tkachyk.
Among the victims is a resident of Chortkiv district. The man was not subject to military service during the mobilisation, as he is the father of four children, three of whom are minors. He says that at night, men in uniform broke into his house, started kicking him in the body, and then dragged him out of the house and took him in an unknown direction.
"I argued and said they had no right to take me away because I have four children. They started beating and kicking me again. The next day, they took me to a bus stop. It turned out that a ransom had been paid for me. My relatives raised the money and paid 30 thousand hryvnias for me," the victim said.
After the visit with the TCR and SS staff, the man was diagnosed with broken ribs and other injuries. The Ternopil Regional TCR and SS assure that they will do their best to assist law enforcement agencies in exposing employees who discredit the rank of military.
Police investigators served the organiser and four accomplices suspicion notices on the grounds of criminal offences under Art. 369-2, para. 3 (acceptance of an offer, promise or receipt of an undue advantage), Art. 368, para. 3 (acceptance of an offer, promise or receipt of an undue advantage in a large amount), Art. 2, 3, Art. 27, Art. 28, Art. 368, Art. 368, Art. 146, Art. 146-3 (unlawful deprivation of liberty accompanied by physical suffering committed for mercenary reasons by an organised group), Art. 27, Art. 27, Art. 28, Art. 122, para. 2, 3, para. 1 (intentional bodily harm of moderate severity) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The issue of choosing a measure of restraint is being decided. Investigators filed a motion to hold him in custody without the right to be released on bail.
The Ternopil Specialised Defence Prosecutor's Office of the Western Region is leading the proceedings.
