“The deputies’ car fleet”: which cars MPs ride in and who they actually belong to

Bihus.Info journalists observed which cars members of parliament arrive in, determining who owns these cars, how much they cost, and which MPs do not declare them.

This is reported in a segment by Anastasiia Usenko, Maryana Sych, Kseniia Omelchenko, and Daryna Tverdokhlib for the TV program “Our Money with Denys Bihus.”

People’s Deputy from Opposition Platform — For Life Yurii Boiko arrives at the Verkhovna Rada in a Mercedes SUV. This car belongs to Boiko himself and is listed in his declaration. But journalists recorded Boiko’s Mercedes leaving the deputy’s house escorted by a Land Cruiser that is registered to a security firm. Neither that vehicle nor security expenses appear in the deputy’s declaration.

Boiko himself called that escort vehicle “security,” saying he did not know about the presence of a follow car.

Boiko’s colleague Nataliia Korolevska arrives at the Verkhovna Rada in a Range Rover worth about 60 thousand dollars. This vehicle, despite Korolevska’s statements, is not listed in her declaration. According to the MP, the car belongs to her parents.

All-Ukrainian Union “Fatherland” leader Yuliia Tymoshenko drives a Mercedes S600. This car belongs to the company “International Industrial Projects,” which is connected to the lawmaker’s husband, Oleksandr Tymoshenko. Interestingly, the party “Fatherland” rents the car for Yuliia Tymoshenko from the private company, paying with funds received from the state budget. For example, in 2018 the party paid over one million hryvnias for this.

In addition, Yuliia Tymoshenko most likely uses security services — the rented Mercedes is escorted by a black “cube” (SUV). Journalists did not find either vehicle or any payments for security in Tymoshenko’s declaration.

Journalists spotted Davydenko Arakhamia — head of the Servant of the People faction — in the driver’s seat of an Audi 2018 model year in the Verkhovna Rada parking lot. The price for such a car at dealerships starts from one and a half million hryvnias. The vehicle is registered to the Mykolaiv firm “Sihnes.” Davydenko Arakhamia explains that he borrowed the car from a friend to try it out because he wants to buy the same model.

Former general director of TV channel 1+1 and now Servant of the People MP Oleksandr Tkachenko is brought to the Verkhovna Rada in a Range Rover Sport 2019 model year. Such a car costs from two million hryvnias in showrooms. In comments to journalists Oleksandr Tkachenko insisted that he rents this vehicle from the TV channel “1+1” and that it is listed in his declaration. Tkachenko’s declaration does indeed contain information about a rented car, but it is a different, considerably older vehicle — a 2013 model year.

Previously Bihus.Info journalists found that OPFL MP Nataliia Korolevska did not declare any cars or businesses. However, the car that regularly transports the MP belongs to the current formal owner of the family’s “former” business.

Previously Bihus.Info journalists revealed a manipulation by Yurii Boiko regarding a ban on teaching in Russian in educational institutions.

Previously Bihus.Info journalists discovered that Oleksandr Tkachenko concealed an undeclared illegal house on Trukhaniv Island.

Previously Bihus.Info journalists established that “fake donors” of Tymoshenko’s party are linked to the “gas case” of Onyshchenko.