State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) officers, in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, have detained Dmytro Kunert, Head of the Kryvyi Rih City Department of the Security Police. Officials suspect him of organizing a systematic bribery scheme targeting more than 100 of his own personnel under the threat of withholding bonuses and financial aid.
According to investigators, over 100 officers were forced to hand over between 3,000 and 8,000 UAH monthly from their official salary and bonuses to management. Those who refused to pay faced financial retaliation, including reduced monthly bonuses or the complete loss of annual financial assistance.
Law enforcement documented dozens of bribe transactions and released video evidence of the operations. The footage shows officers handing cash directly to senior officers after withdrawing funds from ATMs and discussing cutbacks on official allowances that were subject to the illegal «tax.»
«In one recorded episode, a subordinate reports receiving a higher payout, to which the supervisor clarifies that financial aid had arrived and the total should have been roughly 6,000 UAH higher,» stated the SBI.
The suspect was apprehended at the border on August 8 while attempting to flee Ukraine.
Kunert has been officially notified of suspicion regarding extortion and receiving illicit benefits. The court remanded him in custody with bail set at 1.16 million UAH, which has already been posted. The pre-trial police investigation remains ongoing to identify all accomplices involved in the corruption scheme.