The SSU Main Internal Security Directorate, together with the National Police and the Prosecutor's Office, has exposed a fraudulent scheme to extort money from representatives of Ukraine's defense enterprises.

Following operations in Kyiv, two lawyers were detained who extorted USD 150,000 from the head of a company that manufactures unmanned systems for the Ukrainian army.

In exchange for this money, the lawyers promised the entrepreneur to ‘close’ a criminal proceeding allegedly initiated against the manufacturer.

In fact, no investigation was conducted against the businessman. The lawyers made up the fake story about investigative and operational actions to intimidate him and extort money. If he refused to pay, they threatened him with searches and other procedural measures, that could result in a prison sentence.

SSU officers documented the lawyers' crimes and detained them red-handed while the full amount was being handed over.

In addition, investigators established that prior to this, both lawyers had fraudulently obtained another Euro 55,000 from the entrepreneur. In exchange for that money, the suspects offered their ‘assistance’ in supposedly extending the draft exemptions for his company's employees as a critical enterprise.

Both detainees have been served a notice of suspicion under Article 190.5 of the CCU (fraud committed on an especially large scale).

They face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The operation was carried out under the procedural supervision of the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office.

Note: Pursuant to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a court's guilty verdict.