Local official and former MP charged with corruption
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) have charged a former member of the Ukrainian parliament with illegally receiving rent reimbursement, NABU reported on Feb. 13, noting that the suspect currently holds a senior position in a local district council.
According to Ukrainian journalist Oleh Novikov, the charges concern the head of Odesa District Council, Vitaly Barvinenko.
Law enforcement officials claim that the suspect, who owns apartment in central Kyiv, received more than UAH 613,000 ($16,072) in compensation for renting a hotel room in the capital between September 2016 and August 2019.
"The investigation believes that in this way the suspect caused major harm to the interests of a public entity—the Office of the Verkhovna Rada [Ukrainian parliament] of Ukraine," the NABU said.
The official was charged with abuse of power. He faces up to six years in prison.
Vitaly Barvinenko was a member of the Ukrainian parliament in 2007-2019. Since 2020, Barvinenko has chaired the Odesa District Council.
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