Illicit Enrichment Case
Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) have formally notified Oleksandr Kachny, a member of Ukraine's parliament, that he is suspected of illicit enrichment. Investigators allege that between 2020 and 2021, Kachny acquired assets worth approximately 13 million hryvnias, a sum far exceeding his officially declared income for the period. This case highlights the ongoing challenges of political corruption in Ukraine, even amidst the nation's broader struggle for sovereignty and reform.
The assets in question include a cottage and a plot of land on the Black Sea coast in the village of Koblevo, as well as a 132.6-square-meter apartment in central Kyiv. The design and renovation services for this apartment alone reportedly cost over 5.5 million hryvnias. Kachny, who serves on the Budget Committee of the 9th convocation of the Verkhovna Rada, has been notified of suspicion under Article 368-5 of Ukraine's Criminal Code.
Who is Oleksandr Kachny?
Oleksandr Kachny began his career in 1991 as a supply engineer at the Mykolaivelectrotrans enterprise. He later served as head of the State Department of Fisheries from 2005 to 2006. His political career includes being elected to the Kyiv Regional Council in 2006 on the list of the Socialist Party of Ukraine, where he later became first deputy chairman.
After an unsuccessful bid for parliament in 2007, he was elected as a deputy to the Kyiv Regional Council from the Party of Regions in 2010, eventually becoming its chairman. Following his resignation in February 2014, Kachny ran for the 8th convocation of the Verkhovna Rada from the Opposition Bloc. He was successfully elected as a people's deputy in the 9th convocation in 2019 from the Opposition Platform — For Life party.
Kachny has been an active political figure. In August 2020, he was among the initiators of a petition to the Constitutional Court regarding the constitutionality of several anti-corruption laws. Notably, on October 28, 2020, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine issued a decision that effectively abolished liability for false asset declaration, a ruling that led to the closure of numerous related cases.
In 2021, during a television talk show, Kachny refused to acknowledge Russian aggression and left the studio. He has also expressed views on the situation in Donbas and accused the West of trying to drag Russia into a war with Ukraine. Following the full-scale invasion, he did not condemn Russia's actions. On October 5, 2022, he joined the Budget Committee after being released from his duties on the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy.
The case against Oleksandr Kachny is part of a wider anti-corruption campaign being pursued by Ukrainian state bodies. The illicit enrichment suspicion underscores the critical need for financial transparency among public officials, a principle of heightened importance during wartime. Such proceedings are closely watched as tests of institutional integrity and can significantly impact public trust in government.
The situation surrounding political corruption in Ukraine continues to unfold, as another case emerges involving local officials. In a recent incident, a deputy from the Kherson Council has been charged with concealing significant assets valued at approximately $340,000. This case, similar to that of Oleksandr Kachny, underscores the pervasive issue of illicit enrichment among public figures. For a closer look at this developing story, see more about the charges against the Kherson deputy.