In half year, NACP discovered unsubstantiated assets of over UAH 255 million in military commissions
While monitoring the lifestyles of senior executives at territorial recruitment and social support centers, the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) found unjustified assets or signs of illicit enrichment worth more than UAH 255 million. This amount has been found in the last six months alone among military commissars, and the case files have been submitted to the relevant authorities.
This is reported by the NACP, Censor.NET reports.
In particular, it is noted that in July 2023, the SBI officers served a notice of suspicion to the former head of the Odesa Regional TRSSC Yevhen Borysov for illicit enrichment of more than UAH 188 million and intentional evasion from service. The suspicion was based on NAPC materials.
The agency recalls that the former Odesa military officer became famous after a journalistic investigation revealed that his mother had become the owner of a villa in Spain worth €3.7 million last year. Based on the results of lifestyle monitoring, the NACP found that his wife, mother, and mother-in-law also owned an expensive car fleet.
It is also reported that his subordinate (deputy head of the TRSSC - head of the recruitment sector of the Odesa regional TRSSC) has come under the NACP's scrutiny Denys Halushko.
"Monitoring of the military commissar's lifestyle revealed signs of a corrupt criminal offense, which indicate his illicit enrichment of more than UAH 14 million. His close relatives - his wife, mother, mother-in-law, and son - became owners of an expensive fleet of vehicles and real estate without having any income from legal sources," the statement said.
It is noted that the NACP approved a substantiated conclusion regarding Halushko and sent it to the Specialised Defence Prosecutor's Office of the Southern Region.
In addition, in October, based on information from the criminal proceedings received from the Main Department of the National Police in Mykolaiv region, as well as lifestyle monitoring, the NACP identified signs of a corruption criminal offense, indicating the illegal enrichment of Vyacheslav Kushnerov, head of the Malynovskyi District TRSSC of Odesa, in the amount of almost UAH 47 million.
According to the NACP, his wife, mother, mother-in-law, and son owned real estate and a car fleet.
"The declarant did not exercise his right to explain to the National Agency the source of all these funds, so the NACP sent the case file to the Main Department of the National Police in Mykolaiv region to bring him to criminal liability," the Agency said.
It is also noted that the NACP found signs of illicit enrichment of almost UAH 8.5 million in the case of Anatolii Pikal, head of the Dnipro regional TCC.
"It also involved close relatives - his father and wife, who in recent years have acquired movable and immovable property for funds whose legitimate origin could not be proven. The case has been referred to the Specialised Defence Prosecutor's Office in the Eastern Region," the NACP said.
In addition, it is noted that the deputy head of the Poltava regional TCC also acquired unjustified assets, which were identified by the NACP.
"The difference between the value of the acquired property and the family's legal income is over UAH 1.8 million. The case file has been transferred to the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office," the agency said.
Another official in respect of whom the NACP conducted lifestyle monitoring was the head of the Sambir district TRSSC in the Lviv region.
"It was established that the declarant and his wife acquired several real estate objects in 2020-2022. The difference between the value of the assets and the family's official income is over UAH 4.4 million. The materials have been submitted to the SAPO to decide whether to file a lawsuit to recognize the assets as unjustified and recover them for the state," the NACP said.
According to the NACP, one of the most common corruption practices that creates conditions for the illicit enrichment of military officials is their receipt of illegal benefits for providing persons liable for military service with the opportunity to avoid mobilization by being declared unfit for service by a military qualification commission.
The Agency also emphasizes that corruption risks can be minimized primarily through the digitalization of all relevant processes, the entry of complete and accurate information into the Unified Register of Persons Liable for Military Service, and the exchange of information between all registers.
"It is possible to eliminate the causes of corrupt practices in the TRSSC only by approving and implementing the relevant action plan prepared by the NACP. Back in 2022, the National Agency conducted a thorough analysis of border crossing processes, identified several schemes and corruption risks, shortcomings, and gaps in legislative regulation, and proposed solutions to address them. The study was preceded by a coordination interagency meeting on 10 August 2022 chaired by the Prosecutor General of Ukraine at the request of the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal," said NACP Chairman Oleksandr Novikov.
