Official Claims Garage Find of $650k, Prompting Criminal Case Over $1M in Assets

Criminal Proceedings Initiated Against Oleksandr Subbotenko

According to Главком: The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has opened a criminal case against Oleksandr Subbotenko, the acting head of the State Environmental Inspectorate. The case concerns the submission of a false asset declaration listing over 26 million Ukrainian hryvnias (approximately $1 million). This action follows a substantiated finding by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NAZK), which identified major inconsistencies in the official's explanation for the origin of more than $653,000.

Registered on February 3, 2026, under Article 366-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the case details were made public on February 19. Subbotenko claimed the funds were discovered in a metal garage at the 'Prohres' cooperative in Kharkiv, which belonged to his grandmother, O. M. Berberian, who died in December 2020. He inherited the garage in 2021.

Scrutiny of Asset Declarations

During a review of his 2022 declaration, Subbotenko attempted to provide a similar explanation. His 2024 declaration lists $623,000 in cash, while the NAZK investigation references a figure of $653,000, leaving a $30,000 discrepancy unexplained.

His grandmother, O. M. Berberian, was born in 1948 and held technical and accounting positions in state institutions in Kharkiv. She was dismissed in 1984, never engaged in entrepreneurial activity, did not found any legal entities, and was not a company beneficiary. The NAZK found no evidence to support her ability to accumulate such significant sums, particularly hundreds of thousands of dollars.

This case is significant within Ukraine's ongoing anti-corruption efforts, as it demonstrates the scrutiny state bodies are applying to compliance with asset declaration laws.

Such incidents can undermine public trust in state institutions and their ability to combat corruption, highlighting the need for continued vigilance by oversight bodies. Ukraine has been strengthening its anti-corruption infrastructure with Western support since the 2014 Revolution of Dignity.