Today's issue of anticorruption news covers:

  • e-declarations verification having stalled
  • e-declarations for anticorruption activists to be abolished asap
  • contemporary paradoxes of the judicial reform
  • IMF and Transparency International call on Ukraine for independent anticorruption court
  • PGO's attacks on NABU going on
  • Kolomoisky's significant "investments" in Cyprus
  • attacks on activists and journalists
  • AntAC news
  • interesting reading

E-Declarations Verification: Utter Ignore

Almost a year passed, but except comprehensive transparency that uncovered millions of dollars being stored in the houses of lifelong civil servants nothing has really changed - nobody was brought to justice.

Ukraine ignores its obligation within the MFA program - to verify officials' declarations. Although current situation with the verifications is not good at all, the Agency for Corruption Prevention intends to complicate the things even more. Can it be worse? Full text. 
 

"To Be or Not to Be..." - E-Declarations for Anticorruption Activists


On September 20 the Anticorruption Committee recommended that Yuliya Tymoshenko's bill No6271 is adopted by the Parliament in full.

This bill abolishes e-declarations for anticorruption activists and doesn't introducte any additional reportings. Both President's bills on e-declatations for activists and tax reporting for the NGOs were not considered.

We call on the Rada to adopt bill No6271 promptly and then work to improve President's bill on tax reporting. However, BPP MP Burbak announced their faction's stance that both bills should go in one package. 

Judicial Reform: Updates

90% of judges, who persecuted Maydan activists, were not brought to justice as the High Council of Justice did not see any grounds for that.

So does it mean Maydan activists were criminals? 

 

#StopFakingJudicialReform

Two judges Vyacheslav Nastavnyi and Sergiy Slynko who confirmed lawfulness of guilty verdict for Yuriy Lutsenko are the finalists of the Supreme Court competition. This brings us to a basic question: either the verdict was legitimate and criminal Lutsenko can't serve as the Prosecutor General, or the verdict was illegal, and judges-criminals are not eligible to work in the new Supreme Court. Where is the mistake hidden?
 

TI: Ukraine Must Create Independent Anticorruption Court ASA

Transparency International calls on the Ukrainian authorities to create an independent anti-corruption court as part of Ukraine’s legal obligations and its commitments to the EU and the IMF. Only this will strengthen the country’s efforts to fight corruption. Full text. 

Ukraine Sold Eurobonds: No More Miracle Making?

The news that the Government of Ukraine sold 3 billion USD Eurobonds with a 7.375% annual yield causes mixed feelings. On one hand, this is the confirmation of the right direction Ukraine's economic reforms are moving to. 

On the other hand, this is far not the cheapest money Ukraine can get: thus, interest rate of the IMF loans for Ukraine is below 3% (IMF lends Ukraine funds under floating interest rate.

 

The rate is revised weekly based on the fluctuation of exchange rates of key world currencies. Currently, the interest rate together with service fees constitute approximately 3%-4%), but being linked to strict and tough conditionalities IMF money is not popular among Ukrainian political elites anymore.

Fund's Top Management keeps pursuing establishment of the anticorruption court - Christine Lagarde indicated it in her introduction remarks at Brookings on September 18.

However, before the elections in 2019 Ukraine would need to pay back to the IMF around 3 billion USD. Reforms to eliminate endemic corruption - this is what Ukraine really needs, instead of looking for new debts to cover the old ones. 

The EU has also reserved EURO 600 mln macro financial assistance to Ukraine, which is linked to strict policy conditionalities and should be disbursed by the end of 2017. This loan could be also much cheaper for Ukraine - just around 2% interest rate, however this would mean for government to ensure Ukraine has automatic system of asset declarations and conflict of interest verification.

PGO's Attacks on NABU Goes On

According to NABU, Prosecutor General's statement, made during his briefing on September 20, on the illegal wiretapping of more than 150 people (including the Presidential bodyguards), which was supposedly done by NABU is not true. 

NABU supposes it is an attempt to block the creation of independent Anticorruption Court and to discredit NABU. Full text.

Kolomoisky's Significant "Investments" in Cyprus

Recently the Guardian reported that billionaire Ukrainian oligarch Igor Kolomoisky has a Cyprus citizenship, which was granted to him “in recognition of his substantial investments in that country.” Indeed, Kolomoisky invested in Cyprus, specifically by establishing there a PrivatBank branch, which was heavily used for laundering funds from Ukraine. Full text. 

Attacks on Activists and Journalists Intensify

On August 18 unknown persons attacked physically Yevhen Lisichkin, activists from Kharkiv anticorruption centre, which is revealing corruption of local officials. It is the second instance within 1 month of beating activists from this organization. The first attack happened on August 30 against leader of the NGO Dmytro Bulakh, who was heavily injured.

Simultaneously, the force is being regularly used against investigative journalists in Ukraine. On September 15, the officers from State Bodyguard Agency were physically pressing Mykhailo Tkach from Radio Free Liberty, who was filming how president Poroshenko attended the wedding party of the son of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.

 


On Thursday, September 21, activists conducted direct street action event in front of the Presidential Administration demanding authorities to stop attacks on activists and journalists and conduct proper quick investigation of cases when activists are being beaten.

According to human rights information centre instances of physical threats and attacks on regional activists are quite frequent and happen because of lack of proper investigation and prosecution from law enforcement agencies.  

AntAC News


Antonina Volkotrub, AntAC Board member and expert on tracing corruption through open data, became a winner of Chevening scholarship and departed for a 1-year Masters study at Cardiff business school, Great Britain.


We are happy and proud that AntAC team members have access to best international education.

Interesting Reading

Copyright © *2017* Anti-corruption Action Centre*, All rights reserved.

Should you have any questions or comments please contact Olena Halushka at: ohalushka@antac.org.ua

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