The SBI has completed an investigation into a large-scale scheme involving an official from the State Food and Consumer Service in Poltava region obtaining money from entrepreneurs

The employees of the State Bureau of Investigation, in cooperation with the Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police of Ukraine, have completed an investigation into the head of one of the district departments of the State Food and Consumer Service of Poltava Region and the accountant of the regional veterinary hospital.

The indictment was sent to the court.

The perpetrators organized a large-scale corruption scheme to obtain money from entrepreneurs, which allowed them to illegally enrich themselves by hundreds of thousands of hryvnias every month.

In one episode, officials pressured a farmer, threatening him with fines and blocking his activities if he did not agree to «cooperate» and to pay a bribe of UAH 180,000 for positive conclusions on preventive animal quarantine.

Formally, these measures are carried out to prevent infectious diseases among livestock, but in this case, they were purely corrupt in their nature.

In order to conceal the flow of bribes, officials founded a number of private companies that ostensibly provided consulting services. The financial documentation for these entities was kept by the accountant of the regional veterinary hospital.

The companies' accounts were replenished by entrepreneurs from whom State Food and Consumer Service employees demanded bribes. All the «proceeds» were accumulated in an individual bank safe deposit box. During searches, USD 70,000 in cash and EUR 17,400 were found there. This money has been seized for further confiscation as state revenue. The suspects' real estate worth over UAH 3 million has also been seized.

The head of the district department of the State Food and Consumer Service is accused of extortion and receiving unlawful benefits (Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The accountant of the regional veterinary hospital is accused of aiding and abetting in obtaining unlawful benefits (Part 5 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The articles provide for up to 10 years of imprisonment.

The procedural guidance is provided by the Poltava Regional Prosecutor's Office.