Services: a judge and a lawyer made money by issuing fictitious certificates to conscripts

A judge from the District Court in Belgorod on the Dniester, located in the Odesa Oblast in southern Ukraine, and his lawyer have been reported by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) to have accepted financial benefits in exchange for issuing certificates exempting conscripts from military service.

The SBU, in collaboration with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), revealed that since April 2022, one of the judges has allowed, in exchange for an illegal financial advantage, men subject to military obligation to travel abroad based on fictitious certificates. Individuals reporting to the judge and a lawyer were involved in this illegal practice.

In exchange for $3,500 USD, the judge issued fictitious certificates stating that the conscripts had children living abroad who needed care. This allowed the "clients" to leave the country and avoid mobilization. The SBU reported that over 1,000 such certificates were issued.

Corruption in the justice system

A lawyer was implicated in the criminal activity, actively seeking people willing to emigrate and acting as an intermediary. He accepted money and issued certificates, advertising for volunteers on social networks such as Facebook and Instagram, according to the SBU.

The SBU and NABU documented the bribery of the judge, who was caught red-handed. He has been charged with receiving illegal financial benefits, an offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and confiscation of property. While there is no information about the preventive measures taken, an investigation is underway to establish the circumstances of the crime and bring to court all those involved in illegal activities.

Despite the ongoing war, corruption continues to plague Ukraine. In June 2023, Ukrainian entrepreneurs associated with the Federation of Employers of Ukraine appealed to President Volodymyr Zelensky to end the arbitrariness of state officials. According to them, the scale of extortion, corruption, and impunity of state officials is currently the largest since the country gained independence in 1991. Ukrainian media also agree with this statement, reporting almost daily on new corruption scandals involving officials, military personnel, and doctors. In the case of the latter, it often involves issuing false health certificates to allow conscripts to avoid military service.

Recently, there have been more frequent reports that, due to the frequent exposure of corruption related to avoiding military service, prices for avoiding military service on the “black market” have increased.