Four MPs from Ukraine's ruling party served with notices of suspicion as part of anti-corruption bodies' probe

KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO, Mykhailo Tkach — 27 December, 18:26

Yurii Kisiel. Photo: Servant of the People faction

Four Ukrainian MPs from the Servant of the People party – Yevhen Pyvovarov, Ihor Nehulevskyi, Olha Savchenko and Yurii Kisiel – have been served with notices of suspicion as part of an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), with more possibly to follow.

Source: sources of Ukrainska Pravda in law enforcement agencies and the Servant of the People parliamentary faction; ZN.UA citing sources in law enforcement agencies and the Servant of the People faction

Details: ZN.UA reports that notices of suspicion were served on only three MPs – Pyvovarov, Nehulevskyi and Kisiel – under Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, bribery.

According to the outlet, Yurii Koriavchenkov has allegedly left Ukraine. Sources of Ukrainska Pravda within the faction denied this information.

ZN.UA recalls that on 11 December, they reported that the office of Servant of the People MP Yurii Kisiel had been wiretapped, which enabled NABU to record his confidential conversations not only with former First Assistant to the President Serhii Shefir, but also with numerous other high-ranking officials sensitive to the Office of the President. Sources told the outlet that detectives uncovered a "cash window" where the Servant of the People MPs received shadow payments.

As the outlet writes, NABU investigated this case back when its director was Artem Sytnyk (in 2022-2024). At that time, the now-deceased MP Anton Poliakov stated that party MPs were paid envelope wages of US$5,000 for ordinary parliamentarians and US$10,000-15,000 for committee chairs and deputy chairs. Some time later, NABU took out of play the scheme's cashier, Oleksandr Trukhin.

Background:

On the morning of 27 December, Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) said that their undercover operation has exposed an organised criminal group that includes serving members of Ukraine's parliament. Investigators said that members of the group systematically extracted illegal gains in exchange for votes in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament).
Later, NABU said that officers of the State Protection Department were obstructing its staff during investigative actions in the Verkhovna Rada committees. The bureau stated that obstructing investigative actions is a direct violation of the law. Later, detectives were able to enter the parliament committee building.
Ukraine's State Protection Department said its officers checked individuals whom NABU staff had taken as witnesses into the government quarter, and after verification allowed all parties to enter the area.

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