The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine has already started verifying online property declarations of “many officials,” according to the agency’s head Artem Sytnyk.
Speaking at the open discussion about the international experience of fighting against corruption on Nov. 5, Sytnyk said that several examinations were launched following the applications from the lawmakers.
“Neither could we walk pass the top-20 of the, as they were called in media, cash lovers,” he said without revealing the names.
Read more: Wealth of Ukraine’s political elite exposed in public declarations.
More than 100,000 Ukraine’s officials met the Oct. 30 deadline and filed their asset declarations. These e-declarations, open for public access, revealed that Ukrainian politicians, civil servants, and judges keep millions of dollars in hard cash, and own fancy watches, handbags, pieces of antique furniture, jewelry, paintings, fur coats, and wine collections.
Officials have been given seven days after the deadline to correct mistakes in the e-declarations. When the time is up, the documents will be considered finalized and up for verifying.
Initially, the National Agency for Preventing Corruption is responsible for verifying the e-declarations.
It will one by one examine the declarations to find out whether the assets, shown in the document fits the lifestyle of the official and looks explainable. However, the algorithm of such examination has not been stipulated in the legislation and is still being drawn up by the National Agency for Preventing Corruption.
NABU analytics could not wait though and started digging.
If they can prove that an official intentionally lied in the declaration about more than 304,500 ($11,940) or that the illegal enrichment took place, NABU will start criminal proceedings against the official. Such official might face up to two years in jail.
NABU will take over the cases that the National Agency for Preventing Corruption sends to the bureau as such that did not pass the logical examination. The reports from activists and journalists about suspicious declarations will also direct the case to NABU.
Sytnyk believes that as soon as the deadline for correcting mistakes passes, “there will be much more reports.” He even admitted that NABU is currently expanding its analytical department.
“The amount of declarations that raise questions is extremely big,” Sytnyk said. “This work will be long lasting and exhausting.”
