Ukrainian Police Chief Arrested for Taking Bribe

According to the pre-trial investigation, the deputy chief, who was not named in the statement, took the money from a man in exchange for terminating a criminal investigation into the man’s  son. 

The small city of Tysmenytsia is located in the western Ukrainian region of Ivano-Frankivsk and has a population of around 10,000. 

Photographs included in the press release show an arresting official clad in camouflage standing over two persons lying on the floor with their hands behind their heads, waiting to be handcuffed. Another photograph shows authorities over an opened desk drawer in which lies a wad of U.S. dollars, all $100 bills. 

The Ivano-Frankivsk Department of Homeland Security of the National Police and the local Office of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) are continuing to investigate the matter. Authorities are looking into possible involvement of other officers of the Tysmenytsia police department. 

If found guilty, the deputy chief could face a prison term of five to ten years, and may be barred from holding certain official positions for up to three years. 

According to Transparency International’s 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index,  Ukraine is the 120th most corrupt country out of 180 countries included on the index. 

A 2016 survey conducted by Transparency International Ukraine found that corruption was still a normal part of daily Ukrainian life. Seventy-two percent of Ukrainian disagreed with the statement, “There is less corruption than four years ago,” and only 29 percent said they would refuse to pay a bribe.