Former head of the Ministry of Culture reported on suspicion of facilitating illegal travel abroad of men

The former acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine was informed of suspicion in the case of illegal smuggling of men of military age across the state border. This was reported by Ruslan Kravchenko.

According to the investigation, the official used the mechanism of the so-called “facilitation letters” from the ministry, registering the men as members of a musical group that was supposed to go abroad to hold charity concerts. In fact, as law enforcement officers established, these individuals had nothing to do with musical activities.

The investigation established that after the initial refusal to cross the border by border guards, the former official repeatedly applied to the State Border Service of Ukraine with a request to allow them to leave. It was this letter that became the basis for the departure of eight men who subsequently did not return to Ukraine.

The National Police of Ukraine reported that within the framework of this case, a suspicion has already been announced against the businesswoman, and four more participants in the scheme have also been identified, who were engaged in the search for “clients” and the organization of the so-called “tours”.

According to sources, the suspicion was received by Rostyslav Karandeev, who headed the department from July 2023 to September 2024. The former official himself confirmed the fact of the presentation of the suspicion and stated that he would provide a comment after reviewing the investigation materials.

The pre-trial investigation is ongoing under Part 3 of Article 28 and Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – illegal smuggling of persons across the state border, committed by an organized group. Law enforcement officers are also checking the movement of funds through crypto wallets and bank accounts, which were probably used for payments within the framework of the scheme