In Odesa, a father and son set up a family "business" on draft dodgers

In Odesa, a father and son set up a family "business" on draft dodgers

Individuals involved in the case are a 44-year-old head of one of the departments at the Odesa Psychiatric Hospital and his 66-year-old father, who works in the same department as an attending physician. They have been suspended from work. 

This was reported by the police.

Law enforcement officers found that the son and father had organized a "business" on men who are subject to conscription but evade it. According to the relatives’ "plan," for issuing conscripts a medical certificate with a diagnosis of allegedly existing mental disorders that allow them to avoid conscription, as well as a certificate of inpatient treatment at a psychiatric hospital for presentation to the territorial recruitment and social support center, "patients" had to pay the doctors 165 thousand hryvnias in illegal benefits.

At the beginning of July, police documented one such case. A 28-year-old "client" arrived at the office of the department head, where he was handed a certificate personally signed by the attending physician with information stating that the man had allegedly been undergoing inpatient treatment with them for two weeks. For this "service," the doctors received 1,000 dollars. The remainder of the agreed amount was to be paid by the evader after signing and providing him with a diagnosis of a mental disorder.

Police detained the "Hippocrates" in a procedural order during the receipt of the first tranche of the illegal benefit.

During authorized searches in the doctors’ offices and their residences, investigators seized the 1,000 dollars received for the services, official documentation, flash drives, mobile phones, and "rough notes." Nearly 49 thousand dollars, 500 thousand hryvnias, over 1,100 euros, and several pounds sterling were also seized. The legality of the origin of this money will be investigated during the investigation.

"Having gathered enough evidence, under the procedural guidance of the Prymorskyi Prosecutor’s Office of Odesa, we informed the suspects of the suspicion under Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, namely the extortion and receipt by an official of an illegal benefit for themselves for actions taken in the interest of the person providing the unlawful benefit, using their official position, committed by a group of persons in prior conspiracy. According to current legislation, the father and son face imprisonment for a term of five to ten years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years, with confiscation of property. The suspects have been given preventive measures in the form of detention with the right to post bail in the amount of 241,920 UAH, which they utilized. Additionally, at our request, the court suspended them from their positions. Further, we will determine the number of "patients" who have already used the illegal services of the doctors. The investigation continues," reported Vitaliy Havryshchuk, Senior Investigator of Police Department No. 1, Odesa District Police Department No. 1.