People's Deputy Serhiy Kuzminykh, who has been on trial for more than two years on charges of bribery of over half a million hryvnias, continues to receive generous payments from the budget of Ukraine. From 2022 to 2024, Kuzminykh received 2 million 517 thousand UAH in compensation from the state budget: for housing rent, travel, and parliamentary activities.
UNN conducted a survey among Ukrainians and asked how they feel about Kuzminykh receiving compensation from the state budget, despite the criminal investigation that has been ongoing for more than 2 years.
The survey showed that the situation causes sharp indignation among Ukrainians. Some even suggest putting him "against the wall." Less radical Ukrainians say: "Deputies who are under investigation should return compensation for parliamentary expenses or redirect them to the front." And others note: "Deputies against whom criminal investigations are ongoing should not receive compensation." See the full survey in the video:
Recall
People's Deputy Serhiy Kuzminykh was exposed by NABU in January 2022 for receiving a bribe of UAH 558,000 for assisting in signing contracts for the supply of medical equipment to a hospital in the Zhytomyr region. Despite video evidence and a court process that has dragged on for more than two years, Kuzminykh continues to be a people's deputy and enjoys all the privileges of this status.
Currently, the stage of evidence examination is underway. However, the consideration of the case is delayed. According to information provided by the HACC, out of 86 court sessions, 31 were disrupted due to the non-appearance of the defense, and the MP himself missed 22 sessions.