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#Ukraine Time for Kyiv to own anti-orruption agenda

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140308-ukraine-protests-03_28495d96723b0a298deeac475152b96bby Yulia Andrusiv, Chantham House, Russia and Eurasia Programme

The government’s record on fighting corruption offers a mixed picture at best. Failure to seize the anti-corruption agenda threatens the political survival of the government and the stability of the country.

Serhiy Leshchenko, a former investigative journalist and Ukrainian MP has published the results of an investigation into the wealth of Serhiy Lyovochkin, a fellow MP and a former head of administration for the country’s last president, Viktor Yanukovych. It alleges that this long-term public official’s assets include a 49€ million villa on the French Riviera and multiple business interests, none of which have been officially declared.

This is one of many investigations into corruption and embezzlement of public finances by state officials in Ukraine that have appeared in the media in recent years. Yet despite this, most continue to live lavish lifestyles way beyond their declared incomes. Although some criminal cases have been opened against former top officials, practically none resulted in trials or recovery of embezzled funds.

The government’s failure to prosecute such cases is a source of frustration for a public asked to bear the brunt of the economic reform, the devaluation of the currency, and the war with Russia. Ridding the country of corruption was a key demand of the Maidan protestors in early 2014 and has resonated in society ever since; 94,4 per cent of Ukrainians identify corruption as among the top three serious issues for Ukraine.

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