The State Bureau of Investigations (DBR) has reported changes in the charges against the head of the Anti-Corruption Center, Vitaliy Shabunin, and his commander in a criminal case related to abuses and evasion of military service.
This is reported by Kyiv24
How DBR Changed the Charges Against Shabunin and His Commander
According to the DBR, due to changes in the circumstances of the crime, the content of the charges against the serviceman, whose commander is accused of aiding in evasion of military duties, has been updated. The charges against the serviceman remain unchanged in legal qualification: he is accused of evasion of service and fraud. The investigation is ongoing.
“Since the circumstances of the crime have changed, the charges against the serviceman, whom the commander aided in committing the crime through his actions, have also been modified, but without changing the qualification of the crime. He is still accused of evasion of military service and fraud. The investigation is ongoing.”
DBR officials handed a new charge to the commander of one of the military units in the Kyiv region for aiding a subordinate in evading military duties, and also updated the content of the charges against the serviceman, who is reportedly Vitaliy Shabunin.
Details of the Case and Reactions from the Parties
The investigation has established that the commander, having violated procedures, sent the serviceman to a government agency, where he actually did not perform his official duties. Instead, he was in Kyiv, handling personal matters, visiting public establishments, while still receiving financial compensation, illegally appropriating over 224 thousand hryvnias of state funds.
In this regard, the commander has been additionally charged with aiding in evasion of service, committed in conspiracy, as well as abuse of office under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
On August 13, the Anti-Corruption Center reported that law enforcement arrived at Shabunin’s place of service in Kharkiv region to deliver the updated charges. The organization emphasized that the DBR is not changing the qualification of the alleged crimes, but only updating the description of the circumstances. Earlier in July, searches were conducted at Shabunin’s place of service and residence; at that time, the DBR announced charges of systematic evasion of service and unauthorized use of military vehicles.
The Anti-Corruption Center suggests that the episodes being investigated by the DBR relate to the period from September 2022 to February 2023, when during the deployment of the Territorial Defense unit in Kyiv region, Shabunin was sent to the National Agency for Prevention of Corruption. The organization called the DBR’s accusations absurd.
Vitaliy Shabunin himself describes the criminal proceedings against him as “a step towards Zelensky’s corrupt authoritarianism.” Meanwhile, the President’s Office has not commented on this case. On July 15, the court imposed a preventive measure on Shabunin in the form of personal obligation.
In March of last year, Shabunin stated that the DBR had opened two criminal proceedings against him for allegedly evading military service and forging documents from the National Agency for Prevention of Corruption. He claimed that he is not avoiding service and published a photo of his military ID, which indicates that he took the oath on February 25, 2022, and called the investigation “idiotic.” At that time, the DBR clarified that the case was opened by court order.