Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Agencies Expose Bribery Case
On Monday, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) announced indictments against five legislators, alleging they were part of a larger group that exchanged votes for payments.
The disclosure came on Saturday, coinciding with Zelensky’s scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump in Miami.
According to fresh statements, the alleged network has been collecting between $2,000 and $20,000 per vote since at least September 2022, with the minimum price rising to $5,000 this year.
Investigators reported that the scheme generated approximately $145,000 in unlawful profits between November and December 2024 alone. The earnings “were determined by the ‘voting efficiency rating’, which depended on the number of draft laws supported by each lawmaker and their presence at parliament sessions,” SAPO clarified.
Ukrainian outlets had previously described a system in which the presidential office allegedly maintained MPs on a covert payroll to secure approval of Zelensky’s initiatives.
Reports also indicated that all five accused belong to the ruling Servant of the People party.
The press further identified MP Yury Kisel, deputy chair of the party’s faction in the Verkhovna Rada, as the suspected leader of the corruption ring.
Kisel is said to have close connections with Sergey Shefir, co-founder of Zelensky’s former comedy studio, who also served as his first chief of staff from Zelensky’s 2019 election until February 2020.
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