Ukrainian parliament launches probe into consultant accused of receiving Russian funds

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Ukrainian parliament) have launched an internal probe into a chief scientific and expert consultant Yana Salmina after an investigation by Skhemy (Schemes), an investigative project by Radio Liberty, alleged she had received Russian money and travelled to Moscow.

Source: Response from the Verkhovna Rada Secretariat to a Skhemy inquiry, signed by Secretary Viacheslav Shtuchnyi

Details: The secretariat said that it has ordered its own internal review into Salmina.

It added that it would take further steps once the checks are complete and would provide an additional update.

Quote: "The secretariat adheres to a principle of zero tolerance towards any threats to national security. In light of the information set out in your request, the secretariat has forwarded copies to the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) so the facts can be checked within their respective remits."

More details: The secretariat added that she was appointed as the Verkhovna Rada's chief scientific and expert consultant following a competitive selection process in June 2019, but no special vetting was conducted because it is not required for the role.

The secretariat emphasised that the Skhemy allegations linked to the Russian Federation relate to a period before she joined the civil service in the Verkhovna Rada secretariat.

Background:

• A Skhemy investigation has revealed that, while now a civil servant in the Verkhovna Rada, Salmina ran a number of projects on "protecting the Russian minority in Ukraine" using funding from a Kremlin-created Russian state organisation for at least five years up to 2016.
• Journalists also said that in 2016, three years before her appointment, she travelled to Moscow twice.
• The Skhemy investigation also states that Salmina currently lives in a flat owned by her father, a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow Oblast, works for Russia's defence industrial base and receives a salary from a Russian Defence Ministry research institute.

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