Four police chiefs from Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil and Zhytomyr regions were released from pre-trial detention on bail, suspected of «covering» a network of «porn offices». The driver of the Deputy Interior Minister, who is believed to be an intermediary, remained in custody.
Basic context
Four officers of the regional units of the National Police have been released from the pre-trial detention centre on bail. They are Sergey Bezpalko, the head of the National Police in Ivano-Frankivsk region, who was released on bail in the amount of UAH 7 million, his deputy Vladimir Yatsyuk - UAH 5 million to the first deputy head of the Ternopil regional police Andriy Tkachyk - 5 million hryvnias, as well as the deputy head of the Zhytomyr regional police Ilya Gulevaty - UAH 1.16 million.
All four are suspected of receiving bribes for «covering up» the activities of «pornographic offices» - premises where pornographic content was produced and distributed via the Internet. The court ordered them to appear when summoned by investigators, hand over their passports and wear electronic bracelets.
The following remained under arrest Vladimir Vorobey - a former driver of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' motor vehicle fleet, whom the investigation considers to be a key intermediary in the scheme. He was granted bail in the amount of UAH 8 million, but it was not paid.
Details of the case and progress of the investigation
According to the investigation, the officials organised a scheme under which they received monthly bribes for not interfering with the activities of «porn offices». Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko explained that it was a network that illegally produced and distributed erotic and pornographic videos.
The driver of the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs used his connections with the leadership of the National Police to arrange for «non-interference» with the work of these offices. According to Kravchenko, the bribe amount for the heads of regional units was $20,000 per month, and the intermediary received $5,000.
To conceal the scheme, the participants used symbols in messengers and discussed the details privately. During the investigation, the SBU seized an elite fleet of six cars, five Swiss watches, weapons, mobile phones and cash worth over UAH 22.6 million from the suspects.
Impact and next steps
The suspension of suspected police chiefs in three regions remains in place as part of measures to cleanse the system of corruption. The investigation is ongoing, and the officials must appear at every summons from the investigator and prosecutor.
The detention of the intermediary Volodymyr Vorobey demonstrates his key role in the scheme and signals further investigation. Cases of this magnitude underscore the importance of fighting corruption in law enforcement and the need for transparency in police work.
The case raises questions about the credibility of the police leadership in the regions, and its development will be closely monitored by the public and the media.
This case also demonstrates how complex and large-scale corruption networks can infiltrate law enforcement agencies, using intermediaries to avoid accountability.
Further court decisions and investigative developments will have a significant impact on the reputation and effectiveness of the National Police in Ukraine.
