+18 Kyiv
"The results of the study of the declarations of NABU detectives, who earn on average from 100 thousand UAH per month, are stunning. In total, we found 23 declarations of intruders that contain mentions of cryptocurrency. In 15, unreliable data was indicated, and in two more, the addresses of crypto wallets were hidden, which is why they cannot be verified. Judging by the detectives’ declarations, it can be assumed that employees of NABU, which was created to protect the state from corrupt officials, themselves began to engage in fraud, hiding millions of corrupt money in crypto wallets", – the investigation materials state.
One notable case mentioned by Ukrainian News involves the wife of senior NABU detective Oleksandr Rykovtsev, who reportedly declared the purchase of bitcoins in 2016 valued at over $1 million at current prices. However, according to the investigation’s findings, this claim appears to be inaccurate.
"According to blockchain transaction tracking services, no activity was recorded for the specified crypto wallet. In fact, it was not registered on the Bitcoin network at all. Additionally, no transactions were detected for the other BTC wallets listed in the declaration", – the journalists reported.
Ukrainian News additionally highlights serious irregularities in the asset declaration of senior NABU detective Stanislav Braverman:
"According to the declaration, Braverman purchased crypto worth UAH 1.39 million, and sold it for UAH 1.32 million. It is very similar to the legalization of corruption funds: funds were first allegedly deposited into a non-existent wallet (no one can trace it), and then withdrawn – to a card, for example. This is how more than UAH 1 million appeared out of nowhere. In addition, Braverman bought securities worth more than UAH 1 million 270 thousand during the year. That is, a person with a civil servant’s salary without blinking an eye bought virtual assets worth UAH 2.5 million", – the agency wrote.
The journalistic investigation has identified potential breaches in the asset declaration of senior NABU detective Oleksandr Moiseyev, who reported purchasing UAH 820,000 worth of cryptocurrency one day and selling it for UAH 757,000 the next.
"As with Braverman, it looks like legalization of corruption funds. Who or from whom and for what they were received – law enforcement officers and the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NACP) must find out. And another coincidence with the previous position of the anti-rating: Moiseyev purchased securities for 2.2 million UAH. This is for the same salary of a civil servant as Braverman", – the authors of the investigation reported.
The report further notes that, in direct violation of NACP requirements, neither Braverman’s nor Moiseyev’s declarations include any data on the addresses of their cryptocurrency wallets, rendering independent verification impossible.
The investigation also highlights that other NABU employees declared funds in fictitious wallets – some totaling up to UAH 1 million – according to the journalists.
"This and a number of other scandals in recent months have finally discredited the bureau as a structure for combating corruption. Not only is NABU no longer capable of fighting it – it looks like a structure that is slowly becoming its integral participant. […] If the bureau is not put in order in the near future – its existence will pose a threat to the state, and the need for liquidation will become irreversible", – the authors of the investigation summarized.
