A government official attempting to take bribes from local restaurant owners was arrested in Odessa

In Odessa, a State Labor Inspector was arrested by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) while attempting to receive bribes from local restaurant owners. This information was reported by the press service of the State Bureau of Investigation.

The SBI officials informed the chief inspector of the State Labor Service in the Odessa region of the suspicions against him. Instead of ensuring compliance with labor legislation, the inspector decided to profit from the restaurant owner's employment of informal workers.

It was established that the inspector received complaints from restaurant employees in Odessa regarding their employer's refusal to pay their wages, taking advantage of their unofficial employment status. Instead of responding to the violations, the inspector approached the entrepreneur to "resolve" the matter.

He proposed a monthly payment of 3,000 hryvnias per each informally employed worker and an additional payment of 10,000 hryvnias for a "favorable" consideration of the employees' complaints against the employer. The inspector threatened the restaurant owner with fines and interference in the restaurant's operations if he refused to comply.

The SBI officials arrested the inspector while he was receiving an unlawful gratuity of 40,000 hryvnias. The inspector has been charged with receiving an unlawful gratuity by an official (Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), and a preventive measure of detention with the right to post bail has been applied. He has also been suspended from his position.