Lawsuit Filed with the High Anti-Corruption Court
The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) has initiated legal action in the High Anti-Corruption Court, aiming to declare assets worth almost 5 million hryvnias as unjustified. These assets, involving an apartment and a parking space, were allegedly acquired through Oleksiy Kuleba’s sister. According to the lawsuit, between 2021 and 2023, Kuleba lacked sufficient legal income to cover these purchases, using a relative to facilitate the transactions.
At the time the lawsuit was filed, Oleksiy Kuleba served as Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration and Minister of Communities and Territories Development. However, in 2021, when he signed preliminary purchase agreements for the apartment and parking space in Kyiv, he held the position of First Deputy Head of the Kyiv City Administration. By 2023, after becoming Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Kuleba ensured the final sale contracts were executed and state-registered—a process that also involved his driver.
Income and Expenditure Analysis
An examination of official income and spending records for Kuleba and his family revealed insufficient lawful earnings to afford these assets. As stated by the SAPO prosecutor,
“analysis of O. Kuleba and his family’s official income and expenses determined that they did not have enough legal income to purchase these assets.”
Based on these findings, the prosecutor has asked the court to declare the assets unjustified and to seize them from the nominal owner—whose legitimate origin is in reasonable doubt—for the benefit of the state.
The lawsuit was submitted by a SAPO prosecutor using materials from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) to the High Anti-Corruption Court. This case has drawn significant public attention, highlighting the critical need for transparency among government officials.
- Cases involving alleged corruption by high-ranking officials typically generate widespread public interest.
- The court’s response to these accusations could have major implications for Kuleba’s future political career.
- Public perception of Ukraine’s anti-corruption efforts may also be shaped by the outcome of this proceeding.
The ongoing scrutiny of public officials' assets raises important questions about transparency and accountability in Ukraine's government. In a related case, a Supreme Court judge recently transferred an apartment to his son, a NABU detective, just before facing bribery allegations. This incident highlights the potential for conflicts of interest among those in power. For more details on this troubling development, see the full report on the judge's controversial asset transfer.