Roman Nasirov, former State Fiscal Service Chief, had concealed $300,000 in a British financial institution for three years, including after he was charged with corruption. Nasirov finally declared this money when he registered as a presidential candidate on Jan. 16.
“The account was opened in a financial institution of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which (the account) has belonged to the accused for over three years,” anti-corruption prosecutor Andriy Perov said at the court hearing over Nasirov, as reported by Slidstvo.Info.
According to Perov, there is a lawsuit against this account in the U.K., and the local law enforcement asked to freeze it.
Nasirov did not include information about these assets in any of the declarations, which he is required to fulfill as a public servant under Ukrainian law. In addition to being a Ukrainian citizen, Nasirov also has British citizenship, according to the British Embassy in Kyiv. Nasirov himself repeatedly denied having a British passport. Ukraine does not recognize dual citizenship.
However, in his declaration of assets as a presidential candidate, Nasirov did include the $297,730 he owns in brokerage account with “Interactive Brokers.” Interactive Brokers LLC is a U.S.-based electronic brokerage firm that arranges deals in stock, options, bonds, etc.
“I did not declare this account because there are not dollars there, but other assets. Which assets — you will learn later,” Nasirov told Slidstvo.Info.
He refused to explain why that asset is indicated in U.S. dollars. The Kyiv Post could not reach Nasirov over the phone to clarify.
On Dec. 11, 2018 Kyiv District Administrative Court ruled that Nasirov, a suspect in a major corruption case, must be reinstated as State Fiscal Service Chief. The court claimed it was unlawful that Nasirov was fired on the formal grounds that he has British citizenship.
On Jan. 9 the Cabinet of Ministers and State Fiscal Service appealed against Nasirov’s reinstatement.
In March 2017 Nasirov, an ex-lawmaker from President Petro Poroshenko’s Bloc, was charged with abusing his powers by illegally allowing participants of an alleged corrupt scheme at state gas producer Ukrgazvydobuvannya to delay tax payments, causing losses to the state of Hr 2 billion ($74 million.). He was fired, and a trial against him began in December 2017.
Fugitive lawmaker Oleksandr Onyshchenko, a suspect in the same corruption case that involves Nasirov, has claimed that Poroshenko instructed Nasirov to delay tax payments for Onyshchenko’s gas firms and used the unpaid tax money to finance Poroshenko’s political projects.
Poroshenko has repeatedly denied Onyshchenko’s allegations, dismissing them as a smear campaign orchestrated by the Kremlin.
