Investigation launched after 50 attorneys in Khmelnytski claim disability status

Source:Office of the Prosecutor General

A massive scandal has rocked Ukraine on Wednesday after  50 attorneys in Khmelnytskyi were found to have fake medical examptions that allow them to dodge the conscription. Revealed by journalist Yurii Butusov, the story caused a stir making Office of the Prosecutor General launch an investigation into the scheme.

This probe will reportedly extend to many prosecutorial bodies beyond Khmelnytskyi. A special commission has already started gathering documents and information to get to the bottom of these claims.

The plot brought together regional prosecutor Oleksii Oliinyk and Tetiana Krupa who chaired Medical-Social Expert Commission. The officials used their connections in the local Pension Fund office to provide disability documents. It allowed women to secure care allowances for their husbands, thereby exempting them from military mobilization.

Remarkably, the scandal was uncovered by the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR), prompting questions about why Khmelnytskyi law enforcement failed to step in eariler.

Butusov’s investigation also revealed that nearly all Khmelnytskyi prosecutors hold disability status, certified by MSEC head Tetiana Krupa. All fo them have enjoyed hefty state pensions for years, including top figures like regional prosecutor Oleksii Oliinyk and his wife, who pocketed millions from state funds. According to Butusov, some 50 local prosecutors have collected over hryvnias 54.1 million from taxpayers, with Oliinyk himself having received 2.5 million since 2017.