NABU has concluded its investigation into a bribery case involving the State Border Guard Service
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine has completed a pre-trial investigation into a case involving the acceptance of bribes by officials of the State Border Guard Service and the illegal enrichment of one of them.
According to investigators, a scheme to illegally smuggle cigarettes across Ukraine’s state border into EU countries was in operation in 2023. Law enforcement officials claim that certain officials of the State Border Guard Service, who systematically received illicit benefits, ensured the scheme’s unimpeded operation.
According to NABU, from July through November 2023 alone, the suspects received at least 204,000 euros in bribes for allowing 68 vehicles to pass—3,000 euros per vehicle.
The investigation established that vehicles registered in the Czech Republic and Austria were used as a cover, with license plates resembling diplomatic ones attached to them. The passengers in these vehicles were holders of diplomatic passports—family members of Ukrainian diplomats stationed in EU countries—which, according to the investigation, allowed them to avoid thorough border checks.
The NABU also reported that certain officials of the State Border Guard Service had previously served alongside diplomats whose relatives are implicated in the case.
Source: National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine.
As a reminder, NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) announced new charges in the Midas case against a former executive director for security at Energoatom.
A former State Border Guard Service official was charged in a corruption case.
