+11 Kyiv
"The National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP) refused to answer whether it had examined Mykhailo Romanyuk, the head of one of the divisions at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), who had previously been found to use high-end cars and own luxury real estate registered under relatives' names. The Sviatoshynskyi District Court of Kyiv also issued a response in the case of Romanyuk’s brother, Ihor, in whose bribery case no verdict has been reached after eight years. In fact, both the NACP and the court sided with the person suspected of corruption", – the publication noted.
Journalists said the agency had taken a purely formalistic approach to the inquiry.
"The NACP, established ten years ago, demonstrates the full range of practices typical of traditional Ukrainian bureaucracy. Otherwise, we would have seen at least a report on a preliminary inquiry in response to media publications," Informator.ua noted.
According to the outlet, the head of the Sviatoshynskyi District Court of Kyiv, when asked by a journalist about the long-standing bribery case involving Ihor Romanyuk, replied that he is only responsible for the court’s overall administrative operations.
Journalists outlined the specific information they believe the NACP should have investigated, as well as the nature of their request to the court.
"The Informator.ua research established that the head of one of NABU’s divisions, Romanyuk, used luxury cars – a Mercedes-Benz E 220 CDI registered to his mother-in-law and an Audi A6 registered to his father. An apartment in Irpin, a 1,320 m² land plot in Bucha (Kyiv region), and an unfinished 219 m² house were registered to his mother. Only in his 2024 asset declaration did Romanyuk report an apartment of 117.4 m² in his own name – and that property was purchased under the state’s preferential housing program for defenders, eOselia," the article stated.
The publication also noted that one of the most prominent cases Romanyuk handled at NABU was the so-called "Rotterdam plus" investigation.
"The longer Romanyuk kept the story with 'Rotterdam plus' on hold, the richer he became," the journalists stated.
According to Informator.ua, for eight years, the Sviatoshynskyi District Court of Kyiv has not issued a decision regarding the case of Ihor Romanyuk, the brother of Mykhailo Romanyuk and senior investigator at the Kyiv-Sviatoshyn Tax Inspectorate. Prosecutors allege that Ihor Romanyuk demanded and received a $20,000 bribe from the head of a company, the portal reported.
"The most likely 'talisman' of Romanyuk from prison is his brother – Mykhailo Romanyuk, who has made a successful career at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine. According to our sources, Mykhailo Romanyuk, who worked at the central office of the tax police until 2016, was known among his colleagues for his significant involvement in extorting bribes from entrepreneurs. It appears that his 'skills' are highly valued at his new position in NABU, and not only there – at one point, two separate agencies intervened to protect him," the publication concluded.
