In the Rivne region, two doctors are suspected of being involved in a scheme involving fraudulent disability claims
In the Rivne region, law enforcement officials have exposed two doctors suspected of organizing a scheme to illegally issue disability certificates to evade mobilization. The suspects allegedly demanded $2,500 for their services.
According to the investigation, the scheme was organized by a 55-year-old surgeon from Rivne who was a member of the expert team responsible for assessing a person’s daily functioning. He enlisted the help of a 44-year-old doctor from one of the city’s medical facilities in his illegal activities.
Investigators determined that the doctors found a person who wanted to obtain a Group III disability status and arranged for the preparation of the necessary documents. They charged $2,500 for arranging the fraudulent disability status.
The doctors received part of the funds as an advance payment. The remainder—$1,500—was to be paid by the applicant after the documents were prepared. It was during the transfer of the second portion of the money in the office of one of the suspects at the medical facility that law enforcement officers detained him.
The 55-year-old doctor was detained in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine and placed in a temporary detention facility.
During searches of the suspects’ workplaces and residences, as well as at the location where the funds were handed over, law enforcement officers seized cell phones, medical records, and cash. In particular, the older of the two suspects was found to be in possession of 83,840 U.S. dollars, 1,460 euros, and 5,710 hryvnias.
Both doctors were notified of the charges against them under Part 2 of Art. 28 and Part 3 of Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—receiving an unlawful benefit for influencing the decision-making of a person authorized to perform state functions, committed by a group of individuals and combined with the extortion of such a benefit.
The court imposed pretrial measures on the suspects. The 55-year-old doctor was ordered to be held in custody with the option to post bail in the amount of 266,240 hryvnias, which he exercised. The second suspect was placed under house arrest.
In addition, a separate pretrial investigation is ongoing regarding the older of the two doctors concerning the possible illegal declaration of property.
This was reported on July 21 by the Rivne Regional Police.
As a reminder, a scheme to evade mobilization through fictitious employment was dismantled in Kyiv.
The SBU and the National Police uncovered 12 mobilization evasion schemes across eight regions.
