NABU and the SAPO have announced that charges have been filed in a case involving the extortion of $1 million

This was reported by NABU.

After the search, he offered “help”

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office have notified a person of their suspicion that he extorted $1 million for allegedly facilitating the resolution of an issue regarding the possible extradition of a citizen to an aggressor country.

How the scheme worked

According to the investigation, prior to this, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) conducted a search of the residence of a citizen who held a temporary residence permit in Ukraine.

Afterward, the suspect told the victim that he had connections with senior SBU leadership and offered, for $1 million, to ensure the victim would avoid criminal prosecution and possible extradition to the Russian Federation.

According to law enforcement, the funds were to be transferred in four installments of 250,000 U.S. dollars each.

He demanded the rest of the money and made threats

As the investigation established, the suspect subsequently received the first installment of the illicit benefit in the amount of 50,000 U.S. dollars, after which he began demanding the transfer of the remaining amount.

According to information from NABU and the SAP, the victim was threatened with physical violence, murder, and the restriction of his legal rights if he refused.

At the same time, the suspect claimed that the funds were allegedly intended to bribe officials of the Security Service of Ukraine.

As a reminder, NABU announced that it had notified the current deputy head of the Eastern Regional Directorate of the State Border Guard Service—who previously served as deputy head of the Western Regional Directorate of the State Border Guard Service—of his status as a suspect. According to the investigation, the official acquired unjustified assets totaling more than 11 million hryvnias.