Doctors were exposed who are suspected of making money on fictitious certificates in the Lviv region

In Lviv Oblast, a group of doctors suspected of making money on fake disability certificates was exposed in one of the district hospitals.

This was reported by the press service of the State Bureau of Investigation.

According to law enforcement officers, the head of the medical advisory commission involved four doctors in «earning».

«According to his instructions, they looked for among their patients those willing to receive or extend the disability group, held conversations with them, convinced them that the issue could be resolved only with their help and for money. The amounts for each patient were determined differently, depending on whether the disability was established for the first time or if it had to be extended. «Services» were cheaper for women, and the highest prices were for men of military age, whose disability certificate allowed them to travel abroad,» the message reads.

Law enforcement officers documented 10 cases of receiving money by the organizer and members of the criminal group. Clients paid from 12 to 50 thousand hryvnias for the preparation of the necessary documentation.

«The amount received by criminals for these 10 cases alone is almost 200,000 hryvnias,» the SBI added.

Currently, law enforcement officers are establishing the data of those who bought fake certificates in order to avoid mobilization.

The organizer and four performers were notified of the suspicion of obtaining an illegal benefit, committed by an organized group (Parts 2-3 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 28, Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The punishment provided for in the article is imprisonment for a term of up to ten years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to three years, with confiscation of property.

During the searches, documents were seized from the suspects, as well as funds in various currencies: almost half a million hryvnias, more than 47 thousand US dollars and more than 7.5 thousand euros. A petition was submitted to the court to impose preventive measures on the suspect - detention and suspension of the head of the medical advisory commission from performing his duties.

We will remind you that in March of this year in Mykolaiv Oblast, a scheme of trading in fictitious certificates of unfitness for military service due to health was exposed.

We will remind you that on August 16, the State Bureau of Investigation reported on the disclosure of a large-scale scheme for making money by issuing «false» medical certificates of unfitness for military service at the Mykolaiv Regional Mental Health Center. According to the investigation, this «business» was organized by the director of the medical institution, Viktor Taran, involving subordinate doctors who produced the necessary certificates, and a law enforcement officer who was engaged in recruiting clients.

However, the acting director of the Mykolaiv Regional Center for Mental Health, Victor Taran, who, according to the SBI, organized a scheme for the production of certificates for mobilization evaders, remained in his post.

In September, the prosecutor of the Mykolaiv region, Dmytro Kazak, reported that currently there is only one suspect in the case of issuing «false» certificates in a mental hospital — a law enforcement officer, who, according to the State Bureau of Investigation, was an intermediary.

We will remind, the deputy head of the Mykolaiv RMA Yurii Hranaturov said that the corrupt scheme of making money from fraudsters in the regional mental health center exposed by law enforcement officers is an isolated case in the medical field of the region. He also said that he considers the organization of the scheme to be a human factor: «As they say, the dark side of the soul, which is so easy not to see.»

He added that the State Bureau of Investigation will conduct an additional check at the Mykolaiv Regional Center of Mental Health to find out whether other doctors are involved in the corrupt scheme of making money on evasion.

In addition, Yurii Hranaturov believes that the health care department of the regional state administration is not responsible for the activities of the director of the regional mental health center and the scheme of earning money on evasions, the chief doctors are appointed by the Mykolaiv Regional Council.