RT reported that the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine (SBI) released a video recording the scene of a pension agency official lying on a bed full of money, after he and his mother - also a government official - were caught with nearly $6 million worth of illegal cash.
In a statement on October 4, the SBI said its agents raided the office of the head of the Khmelnitsky Regional Medical and Social Specialization Center as part of an investigation into the falsification of disability certificates to evade military service.
Agents found $100,000 in the office, along with a list of fake disabled men. A subsequent search of the properties owned by the official and her son turned up more than $5.2 million, 300,000 euros ($329,000) and more than 5 million Ukrainian hryvnia ($121,000).
Antikor, a Ukrainian anti-corruption NGO, named the official as Tatyana Krupa, a member of the Servant of the People party. Her son was identified as Aleksandr, head of the Khmelnitsky branch of the Ukrainian state pension service.
"Law enforcement officers found money in almost every corner of Krupa's apartment - in wardrobes, drawers, wall niches," the SBI said in a statement, adding that "documents confirming their illegal activities and money laundering through various business ventures were also seized."
In a video released by SBI, Krupa's son is seen lying on a bed next to hundreds of thousands of dollars, euros and hryvnia.
During the raid, Krupa "attempted to destroy some of the money by throwing two bags containing half a million dollars out of the window," the SBI said.
According to SBI, Krupa and his family own 30 properties in Khmelnitsky, Lviv and Kiev, as well as real estate in Austria, Spain and Türkiye.
The Krupas also own nine luxury cars, a hotel and restaurant complex, and have “accumulated” nearly $2.3 million in offshore bank accounts. None of these assets are mentioned in the asset declarations that Ukrainian government employees are required to complete.
The mother and daughter could be charged with fraud, money laundering, false statements and unlawful enrichment, and could face up to 12 years in prison, SBI said.
Ukraine has long been considered one of the most corrupt countries in the world. As of 2022, the country ranked 116th out of 180 countries on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index.
Embezzlement and corruption have had serious consequences for Ukraine's military campaign against Russia.
In May, Ukrainian anti-corruption activist Martina Boguslavets revealed that military personnel and civilians in Kharkiv had stolen tens of millions of dollars intended for the construction of defensive fortifications, allowing Russian troops to freely enter the region without encountering any resistance.
A similar national-level scheme was uncovered a month later, with Ukrainian lawmaker Mikhail Bondar alleging that nearly $500 million was stolen.
