"Disgraceful behavior, draft dodger": what voters of the 67th constituency think about their MP Serhiy Kuzminykh (VIDEO)
Kyiv • UNN
Journalists visited the 67th constituency in the Zhytomyr region to find out how voters assess the work of MP Serhiy Kuzminykh. He is accused of bribery and prolonged delay of the court process.
UNN's film crew visited electoral district No. 67 in the Zhytomyr region, where Serhiy Kuzminykh won and was elected as a people's deputy during the snap parliamentary elections in 2019, to find out how local residents assess the work of their elected representative.
There are at least two reasons for the journalists' trip:
- The dragging of the court process by Kuzminykh and his lawyers in the case of the MP receiving a bribe of half a million hryvnias for schemes involving the procurement of medical equipment. The court process in this case has been ongoing for over 3 years. And during this time, the MP missed every fourth court hearing.
- Statements by Kuzminykh himself, claiming that his constituents believe his business trips are more important than court hearings in the bribery case.
In the district, journalists asked, "Are the voters satisfied with the deputy's work?" and "What is their attitude towards Kuzminykh's business trips, which caused him to miss court hearings in the bribery case?".
These questions divided the local electorate into two camps: some called Kuzminykh an "evader" and stated that his behavior was "disgraceful and punishable by hanging"; others replied that they didn't know who he was at all.
Additionally, journalists visited the. Herbashevskyi Zhytomyr Regional Clinical Hospital. It is with this hospital, according to NABU, that Kuzminykh's receipt of a bribe for facilitating the signing of contracts with suppliers of medical equipment is related. However, hospital staff refused to comment on the situation and even threatened the journalists not to publish the footage shot at the hospital.
It is therefore logical that against the backdrop of the sluggish justice process, journalists decided to find out: are the voters themselves ready to defend the honor of their MP. However, judging by the reaction to questions about Kuzminykh on the streets of Zhytomyr region – his voters are disappointed in their elected representative.
Let us remind you
The scandalous MP Serhiy Kuzminykh, head of the subcommittee on pharmacy and pharmaceutical activities of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Health, was caught taking a bribe of 558 thousand hryvnias back in 2022. According to law enforcement officers, the MP received the bribe for facilitating the signing of contracts between private companies and one of the hospitals in the Zhytomyr region for the supply of medical equipment. Moreover, NABU recorded the bribe transfer on video. In it, a person with a voice similar to Kuzminykh's promises his assistance and adds that he can resolve issues with all medical facilities in the region.
However, as of today, more than 3 years later, court hearings in the case are still ongoing. The delays are mainly due to Kuzminykh missing court hearings. Thus, out of 86 hearings, the bribe-taking MP missed 22. Therefore, whether the people's deputy will answer for bribery remains an open question.
