SAPO closed a criminal case regarding false statements in the e-declaration submitted by an MP

On July 24, 2018, SAPO prosecutor closed a criminal case regarding submitting false statements in the e-declaration by the Member of Parliament Dzendzerskyi. The MP failed to declare information about his financial obligations amounting to 4 billion UAH (around 153 million USD). NABU reports that the decision was made based on “scientific explanations” regarding interpretation of the notion “financial obligations”.

On January 5, 2017, NABU detectives started investigation upon the results of full verification of MP’s e-declarations of 2015 and 2016, where he failed to disclose information about his financial obligations amounting to 4 billion UAH. This money is being charged from him following enacted court rulings.

In July 2017 NABU and SAPO addressed the Prosecutor General asking to submit to the Rada a request on granting a consent for bringing the MP to criminal liability. The appeal wast returned back to NABU for refinement, and that was done. Nevertheless, SAPO prosecutors decided to close the criminal case, justifying the decision by controversial explanations of some scholars, according to whom financial obligations cannot appear by virtue of court rulings.