Case description
On April 30, 2020, the HACC found Oleksandr Chernenko, ex-MP from the Petro Poroshenko Bloc, guilty of unreasonably obtaining compensation for housing. The accused and the prosecutor concluded a plea agreement, so the ex-MP was sentenced to probation for a year.
The scheme concerned a special procedure for the reimbursement of housing expenses for Members of Parliament. The Administration of the Verkhovna Rada compensates expenses for renting an apartment or living in a hotel only for those MPs who do not have a registered place of residence or their own housing in Kyiv or within 30 km of the capital. To receive such compensation, an MP must submit an application and a copy of their passport. The Verkhovna Rada Administration has no authority to verify the accuracy of the data submitted; therefore, the system effectively relies on the personal honesty and integrity of the MPs.
In 2016–2018, Member of Parliament of the VIII convocation Oleksandr Chernenko intentionally submitted documents for compensation despite having a registered residence in the urban-type settlement of Borodianka, Kyiv Region, which falls within the 30-kilometre zone. He also resided in Kyiv with his wife, which further confirmed that he was not entitled to the compensation. Nevertheless, Chernenko unlawfully received over UAH 580,000 until his actions were uncovered.
The NABU detectives initiated an investigation into the unlawful receipt of housing compensation following a Chesno Movement publication, which had revealed that at least 21 MPs had taken advantage of this benefit without sufficient grounds.
Chernenko’s actions were classified under Article 364(2) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The court approved a plea agreement and imposed a sentence of three years’ imprisonment, a fine of UAH 17,000, and a one-year ban on holding certain positions. However, the sentence was suspended, subject to a probationary period of three years. The former MP reimbursed the damages in full by returning to the state the entire amount of the unlawfully received compensation.
