Fugitive MPs Kovalov and Kozak Received Salaries After the Start of the Full-Scale War - Bihus

Escapee MPs Kovalov and Kozak were receiving salaries after the start of full-scale war - Bihus

Members of Parliament Oleksii Kovalov (killed in late August) and Taras Kozak were receiving payments from the Verkhovna Rada after the start of Russia's full-scale war in February.

This is stated in the Bihus.Info investigation.

Oleksii Kovalov retreated to the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region in March and, as later turned out, agreed to cooperate with the occupying authorities. And ally of Viktor Medvedchuk, Kozak, fled Ukraine already at the beginning of 2021 year.

The investigation states that parliament may have tried to hide information that deputies were receiving money after the invasion began.

In the first response from the parliament to journalists' queries, it stated that Kovalov received a salary, allowances for fulfilling deputy powers, reimbursements for travel and medical treatment through May. In the second response it already stated that the last accruals and payments to Kovalov were made in February.

At the same time, both responses stated that Kozak had not received any payments since February. The Apparatus of the Verkhovna Rada explained that they simply corrected inaccuracies and that the information in the second response was unreliable.

But with the help of the state portal Edata, journalists found out that since February Kovalov had been paid over 200 thousand hryvnias: 170 thousand hryvnias as salary and funds for fulfilling deputy powers, 30 thousand hryvnias as compensation for travel within Ukraine, and nearly 20 thousand hryvnias as compensation for housing rent.

Kozak also received payments after the start of the full-scale war — the escaped MP was paid over 40 thousand hryvnias in wages.

Source: skelet.info