Fictitious paternity for evaders: in Kharkiv, a lawyer, a judge’s assistant, and a city council official organized a deferral scheme

Fictitious paternity for evaders: in Kharkiv, a lawyer, a judge’s assistant, and a city council official organized a deferral scheme

In Kharkiv, a lawyer, a judge’s assistant, and a city council official organized a scheme under which draft evaders were granted fictitious sole custody of children to obtain deferment from mobilization.

The information was made public by the SSU.

According to the investigation, the participants in the scheme registered sole custody of the evaders’ children without legal grounds. After that, the “single fathers” applied to the Territorial Recruitment Centers (TRC) with documents to obtain deferment.

The investigation found that the organizer of the fraud was a local lawyer. She involved two of her employees and an assistant judge from one of the district courts in Kharkiv in the criminal activity.

They first forged certificates claiming that the wife of the person liable for military service was allegedly evading child-rearing responsibilities.

To produce the fake documents, the suspects recruited an acquaintance — the head of the district children’s affairs department of the Kharkiv City Council.

On the basis of the forged conclusions of the social service, the lawyer filed a lawsuit on behalf of the father to deprive the mother of parental rights in order to make him the sole guardian of the child.

At this stage, a court employee became involved, ensuring a quick and “favorable” hearing of the case.

SBU officers documented the crimes and detained the organizer and her accomplices.

During searches of the detainees’ offices, homes, and cars, phones and drafts containing evidence of the scheme were seized.

Based on the collected materials, SBU investigators and the Deputy Prosecutor General notified four suspects of suspicion under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

Part 3 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 114-1 (organizing obstruction of the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, committed by an organized group);
Part 3 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 28, Part 2 of Article 369-2 (organizing abuse of influence, committed by an organized group).

The detainees face up to 8 years in prison. The investigation continues to identify all persons involved.

The operational measures were carried out by SSU officers in the Kharkiv region under the procedural supervision of the Office of the Prosecutor General.