Ukrainian officials, lawmakers banned from travelling abroad

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
30 Jan 22:39

Following a series of corruption allegations, Kiev bans senior public servants and lawmakers from leaving the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and top officials attend a meeting of the National Security and Defence Council in Kiev, Ukraine, on September 30, 2022. (Reuters)

The Ukrainian government banned senior public servants and lawmakers, including women, from traveling abroad during the war.

Andriy Demchenko, the spokesperson for Ukraine's border guard service, told AFP on Monday that the measure -- adopted last week -- had entered force.

"They can now only leave as part of a work mission," Demchenko said.

After the start of the Ukraine war, Ukrainian men of fighting age were ordered to remain in the country barring a few exceptions.

The spokesperson explained that under the new measure, senior officials will only be able to travel abroad if they are visiting their children, in the event of medical treatment, or following the death of a loved one. The ban also extends to women civil servants, as well as local deputies.

Ukrainian lawmaker Iryna Gerashchenko denounced what she called a "populist decision", pointing out that around 15,000 local deputies were women and some worked as volunteers.

"At first, the authorities called on everyone who could to leave for the winter with their children, now they are not allowed to leave," Gerashchenko said on Facebook.

"The authorities continue to take thoughtless steps that have nothing to do with the fight against abuses," she considered.

The measure was adopted after several officials were accused of vacationing abroad, including Ukraine's Deputy Prosecutor Oleksiy Symonenko who had gone on holiday to Marbella, a popular Spanish resort.

Symonenko was among officials who resigned last week in Ukraine's biggest political shakeup following a series of corruption allegations.

Ukraine sacks more officials amid corruption claims

Last week, the Ukrainian government sacked several officials in connection with corruption charges.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said, as quoted by AFP, that an official in charge of army procurement, Bodgan Khmelnytsky, had been dismissed after being suspended in December.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry also announced the resignation of Deputy Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov, who worked on providing logistical support for the army.

In the same context, the General Prosecutor's Office said it dismissed the regional prosecutors of the southern regions of Poltava, central Kirovograd, and northern Poltava, Sumy, in addition to Chernigiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reshuffled regional governments, firing governors of Kiev, Dnipro, Sumy regions, as well as heads of the Kiev-controlled parts of Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. Oleksiy Kuleba, the dismissed governor of the Kiev region, was immediately appointed by Zelensky as deputy chief of his office. Kuleba replaced Kyrylo Tymoshenko, who has been implicated in corruption scandals.

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