Accessibility links

Breaking News

Watchdog

Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman revealed that he and his wife had a total of $1.2 million and 460,000 euros in cash. (file photo)
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman revealed that he and his wife had a total of $1.2 million and 460,000 euros in cash. (file photo)

An anticorruption reform requiring senior Ukrainian officials to declare their wealth online has exposed a vast difference between the fortunes of politicians and those they represent.

Some declared millions of dollars in cash. Others said they owned fleets of luxury cars, expensive Swiss watches, diamond jewels, and large tracts of land.

Officials had until October 30 to upload details of their assets and income in 2015 to a publicly searchable database, part of an International Monetary Fund-backed drive to boost transparency and modernize Ukraine's recession-hit economy.

Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman, who last week likened the declarations process to jumping out of an airplane, revealed that he and his wife had a total of $1.2 million and 460,000 euros in cash and a collection of luxury watches.

The database also shows that Hroysman, a former businessman and provincial mayor, is not alone in preferring to keep much of his money out of Ukraine's banking system.

Calculations based on the declarations by the Reuters news agency show that the 24 members of the Ukrainian cabinet together have nearly $7 million in cash alone.

In Ukraine, the average salary of citizens is just over $200 per month.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
Samandar Qoqonov (left) with late President Islam Karimov
Samandar Qoqonov (left) with late President Islam Karimov

Uzbek authorities have extended the prison sentence of a jailed Uzbek politician who has already served 23 years behind bars.

Samandar Qoqonov, 72, was expected to be released on October 6.

His relatives told RFE/RL on October 30 that they received a letter from the Directorate for Monitoring Sentences' Implementation saying that Qoqonov's prison term had been prolonged by another three years and five days due to "violation of the penitentiary's internal regulations."

Qoqonov was arrested in July 1993 and charged with embezzlement.

His supporters said that the case against him was politically motivated.

In 1994 he was sentenced to 20 years in jail. The time he spent in pretrial detention was not counted as served.

In 2014, Qoqonov's prison term was extended by three more years and later cut by two years.

Load more

About This Blog

"Watchdog" is a blog with a singular mission -- to monitor the latest developments concerning human rights, civil society, and press freedom. We'll pay particular attention to reports concerning countries in RFE/RL's broadcast region.

Subscribe

Latest Posts

Journalists In Trouble

RFE/RL journalists take risks, face threats, and make sacrifices every day in an effort to gather the news. Our "Journalists In Trouble" page recognizes their courage and conviction, and documents the high price that many have paid simply for doing their jobs. More

XS
SM
MD
LG