Main points
- An official of Ukrzaliznytsia was detained for accepting a $100,000 bribe for “resolving issues” with the dismantling of a railway track.
- Ukrzaliznytsia has suspended the official, is cooperating with law enforcement and conducting an internal investigation.
UZ official detained for taking a $100,000 bribe from a business / Collage by Channel 24, photo by UZ, Prosecutor General's Office
An official of Ukrzaliznytsia apparently wanted to receive $100,000 in cash from an entrepreneur for quickly “resolving some issues.” Law enforcement officers caught him red-handed while transferring the money.
What is known about the bribery of a UZ official?
This is the deputy director of the environmental safety department of Ukrzaliznytsia, the Prosecutor General's Office reported.
According to the investigation, he demanded $100,000 from a representative of a granite production company in the Khmelnytskyi region. For this money, he promised to “resolve the issue” with the dismantling and decommissioning of the railway track, which was hindering the expansion of production. The scheme was quite cunning:
- first organize a so-called “seasonal detour” so that the commission recognizes the track as unprofitable;
- then dismantle it, write it off and remove it from all registers;
- At the same time, it was planned to transfer the land under the tracks to the community for use as a quarry.
The official insisted that this was a complicated process with a lot of approvals – from the management of Ukrzaliznytsia to the Ministry of Infrastructure and other departments. At the same time, he probably promised to organize everything “turnkey” in 3-6 months and even referred to allegedly similar experience at Lviv Railway. He wanted to receive the money immediately, in cash.
He was detained right during the transfer of funds. During the search, both the cash itself and the receipt he had written were found. Additional searches were conducted at home, at work, and in his car.
What do they say at Ukrzaliznytsia?
The company itself called the situation shameful, writes UZ.
The company's reaction was immediate: it cooperates with the State Bureau of Investigation and the National Police, has already submitted all the necessary materials, and the corporate security service is in constant contact with investigators. If it turns out that other employees are involved in the case, they will also be immediately suspended and the data will be transferred to law enforcement.
In addition, the company is launching an internal investigation. The official himself has already been suspended from his duties.
Once again, we call on all the company's clients, suppliers, partners, and citizens: if someone is hiding behind a job at Ukrzaliznytsia, offering “facilitation” or “acceleration” services
“Under no circumstances should you respond to such offers,” the company said.
It is advised to report such cases to the anti-corruption hotline 0 800 503 222 or immediately contact law enforcement.