A multi-million dollar earning scheme on draft evaders uncovered in the Odessa Regional Medical-Social Expert Commission.

The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) employees uncovered an organized group of doctors who helped healthy conscription-age men obtain medical documents for evading service. Using fictitious diagnoses and fake medical documentation, these doctors helped men obtain a status of unfitness for service. In this way, they avoided mobilization. For these services, doctors charged between $6,000 to $12,000. Already, 42 individuals who used this scheme have been identified. As a result of the searches conducted, medical documentation, more than $80,000 in cash, and three vehicles were seized.

During the investigation, the organizer of the criminal scheme was detained and informed of suspicion in receiving illegal benefits by an official. The issue of informing other participants in the scheme of suspicion is being considered.

The article under which the judicial matter is being resolved provides for punishment of up to 10 years of imprisonment. Recall that recently similar crimes among officials of the medical-social expert commissions were investigated, and many disability determinations were annulled. To improve the procedures for conducting medical-social examinations, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a special bill.