U.S. to help Ukraine locate dubious assets of officials – anti-graft watchdog chief

The USA will help Ukrainian lifestyle monitoring experts to become even more professional in identifying unsubstantiated assets of those subject to mandatory declaration of assets, including abroad.

Oleksandr Novikov, head of the National Agency for Corruption Prevention, spoke of this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"Another unique procedure run by the NACP is monitoring the lifestyle of civil servants. Such a procedure exists only in the United States of America and in Ukraine," Novikov noted.

He explained that the procedure allows for exposing cases where declarants own assets that are not declared and does not correspond to their income level, or that are registered with their close relatives.

"The NACP has already forwarded 31 cases to the Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office to have such unsubstantiated assets seized in civil or criminal proceedings," Novikov said.

In addition, the head of the NACP reported that he recently held a meeting with the head of the American Internal Revenue Service.

"During the meeting, it was agreed that the U.S. will help Ukrainian lifestyle monitoring specialists to become even more professional in identifying unsubstantiated assets of declarants, including abroad," he said.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the National Agency for Corruption Prevention issued 157,000 self-verification certificates, which testify to the financial integrity of "exemplary" declarants.