Report to the police about bribery

Have you been offered a bribe? Have you witnessed corrupt actions? Reporting bribery to the police is the first and key step towards justice. We will tell you how to act correctly, what to indicate in the statement and how to protect yourself from legal mistakes.

What is bribery?

Bribery in Ukraine is a serious criminal offense, which consists in providing, promising, or receiving an improper benefit by an official in order to influence decision-making, actions or inaction within the scope of his official powers. This is the case, in particular, when an official accepts financial or material reward in exchange for a favorable resolution of a certain issue, acceleration of procedures, or ignoring violations.

The Criminal Code of Ukraine provides for clear liability for such actions. In particular, Art. 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine provides that giving a bribe to an official may be punishable by a fine, restriction, and imprisonment, depending on the circumstances and the amount of the unlawful benefit. Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine establishes liability for receiving a bribe by an official - in the form of imprisonment, with confiscation of property and deprivation of the right to hold certain positions.

Thus, both giving and receiving a bribe are qualified as a criminal offense, and even an attempt or intention to give a bribe can have serious legal consequences.

In detail about liability: What are the penalties for giving a bribe?

What actions are considered bribery?

A bribe is not always just “money in an envelope”. It can be other material or intangible benefits:

• valuable gifts,
• services,
• discounts,
• transfer of property
• any other privileges.

A promise of future benefit is also considered an improper benefit, for example, a promise of employment for a relative or the conclusion of a profitable contract. Typical manifestations of bribery are the transfer of a “kickback” for concluding a contract with a state enterprise, as well as an offer to an official to use his official position to influence decision-making.

It is worth noting separately situations when the initiative comes from the official himself - even a hint of a desire to receive a “reward” for resolving an issue in a state body already contains signs of extortion of a bribe.

What are the main requirements for filing a bribery complaint with law enforcement agencies?

In order for the police to have legal grounds to initiate an investigation into a bribery case, your statement must be clearly structured and contain specific facts that indicate the composition of the criminal offense in a bribery case.

The main part of the statement must contain a detailed description of the situation: when, where and under what circumstances an illegal benefit was offered or received, who exactly was involved in this event (indicate their full name, position, state body, institution), as well as the form of transfer of the bribe - cash, gift, service, etc. If there were witnesses present or you have evidence - be sure to indicate this.

It is worth adding: audio or video recordings, screenshots of correspondence, copies of documents, other materials that confirm the facts stated.

How to properly draw up: Statement of a criminal offense

If you were offered a bribe, you witnessed corrupt actions - you should not remain silent. Filing a police report about bribery is your civic duty and a step towards holding corrupt officials legally accountable.

Legal support in such cases significantly increases the chances of opening proceedings, punishing the perpetrator, and protecting your safety.