Corruption has long been a problem in Ukraine – and it is present in all strata and authorities in the country. After numerous scandals, the EU has increased pressure on Ukraine to do much more in the fight against criminal abuse of power. Now there is a new case. A former senior official was arrested on suspicion of corruption.
According to media reports, the former officer, who was fired in late June, is accused of taking bribes to prevent citizens from being drafted into the army. Yevgen Borisov is accused of “illegal enrichment”, among other things, state investigative authority DBR, responsible for corruption cases at the highest level, said on Monday. Borisov tried to escape from prison.
Yevgen Borisov is said to have bought real estate in Spain with a bribe
According to a report published in Ukraine last week, Borissov allegedly used the bribe to buy property worth several million euros in the coastal city of Marbella in southern Spain. Until his release, the officer was responsible for recruiting soldiers in the Odessa region of southern Ukraine. Corruption investigations against Borisov had already started in May. If convicted, he faces up to ten years in prison.
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The fight against corruption is one of the EU’s conditions for Ukraine’s membership. In recent months, there have been several high-profile incursions into the country over allegations of corruption. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy then sacked several high-ranking politicians and officials.
