Another Ukrainian senior official accused of corruption
Last week, as reported by the Kyiv Independent , Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) filed a motion with the High Anti-Corruption Court looking to impose bail and suspend Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov from his position. He is the head of the National Unity Ministry, managing returning refugees. “He left Ukraine days before law enforcement revealed a massive corruption scheme and detained two of his former close associates — Maksym Horbatiuk and Vasyl Volodin. Investigators allege that Chernyshov and his associates undervalued the land fivefold, costing the state Hr 1 billion (about $24 million), and received discounted apartments worth over Hr 14.5 million ($346,000) in return”. At this time Mr. Chernyshov denies the charges.
What can be done in this case? The good news is that significant vigilance is being performed by the anti-corruption bodies, as well as their ability to bring forward cases. One unanswered question is whether this case is legitimate or merely political. What needs to happen next is close monitoring of the case and guaranteeing that it is well adjudicated. This has always been the most difficult element of ensuring that corrupt officials are being held accountable. Continuing monitoring by donors, and civil society anti-corruption oversight organizations is essential, as these cases are important for Ukraine and their supporters.
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