$6 Million in cash: two officials exposed in Khmelnytskyi over illegal enrichment scheme

Source: State Bureau of Investigation

A mother and her son who hold two senior positions in Khmelnytskyi state agencies were found in possession of $6 million in undeclared cash and assets, according to State Bureau of Investigation.

The corruption scheme involved the chief of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Medical and Social Expertise Center and her son who holds a senior position in the Pension Fund of Ukraine in Khmelnytskyi.

During the raids, the DBR detectives discovered $100,000 along with fake medical records of the individuals the suspects allegedly were helping with getting exemptions from military service.

The haul in the suspects’ apartment was even more impressive- detectives uncovered $5.2 million, €300,000, 5 million hryvnias, and luxury jewelry, all of them stashed around the cluttered place.

“Law enforcement found cash hidden in nearly every corner of the apartment—in closets, drawers, and niches,” DBR officials reported.

Investigators also seized documents hinting at money laundering through the family business projects. In a twist that reminded of Hollywood movies, the disgraced official even tried to throwing of the window  two bags with a half a million dollars out of the window.

The officials reportedly own 30 real estate properties in Khmelnytskyi, Lviv, and Kyiv, nine luxury vehicles, corporate rights worth 48 million hryvnias, and even a hotel in Khmelnytskyi. They also hold unspecified assets in Austria, Spain, and Turkey, with $2.3 million in foreign bank accounts.

Unsurprisingly, none of these assets were declared in their annual income statements. The pre-trial investigation continues, as investigators work to track other officials and family members involved in the corruption ring.

Charges can include fraud, money laundering, false asset declarations, and illegal enrichment, carrying penalties of up to 12 years in prison with the confiscation of all assets.