A people’s deputy caught accepting a bribe for men’s departure abroad
A member of parliament from the “Servant of the People” party and her assistant were found guilty of accepting bribes for helping draft dodgers. According to SAP, both received 2 years in prison.
As reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing sources in law enforcement, the case involves MP Lyudmila Marchenko and her assistant Anastasia Kolesnik.
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What the court decided
Both convicted individuals were sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment. Additionally:
- Marchenko is banned from holding positions in government bodies for 3 years;
- Kolesnik is banned from working in organizations related to issuing permits for leaving Ukraine for 3 years.
The sentence will take effect in 30 days unless appealed.
The essence of the scheme
The investigation proved that Marchenko and Kolesnik promised citizens to secure permits for departure through authorized representatives of the regional military administration – and charged money for this.
One of the key pieces of evidence was a video showing the deputy throwing money over a fence in a yard.
The total amount of the bribe was 11,300 dollars.
The money was not handed over directly to clients. The assistant acted as an intermediary: she negotiated, received funds, and coordinated the process. Permits were supposed to be entered into the “Shlyakh” information system.
The scandal erupted in the summer of 2023. People reported to the police that through Marchenko’s circle, it was possible to “organize” the departure of men abroad for several thousand dollars.
After gathering evidence, Marchenko was announced as a suspect in abuse of power.
The investigation lasted more than two years. During this time, Marchenko continued to work in the Verkhovna Rada, but not as part of the “Servant of the People” – after the scandal broke, she was expelled from there.
