Leshchenko Serhii Anatoliyovych

Anti-corruption journalist with a criminal case and a seat on the supervisory board

Serhii Leshchenko is the Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia (since February 2022), a former journalist of Ukrainska Pravda, and a former Member of Parliament of the VIII convocation (2014–2019). Since March 2022, he has also been an external advisor to the Head of the Office of the President, Andrii Yermak. Thus, the advisor to the person who effectively oversees personnel policy in state companies sits on the supervisory board of one of the largest of these companies.

Apartment worth 7.5 million

In September 2016, it became known that Leshchenko — a public anti-corruption fighter — had purchased an apartment of nearly 200 sq. m in the center of Kyiv worth 7.5 million UAH. The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) opened a criminal case on the fact of possible bribery: according to the investigation, he systematically received million-amount payments from an entrepreneur for lobbying business interests. Leshchenko himself explained that half of the amount was a loan, part was savings, and the rest was money from a girlfriend. The case was eventually closed "due to lack of corpus delicti."

Advisor to Yermak and Deputy Chairman of Supervisory Board

In 2024, Leshchenko received an income of 3.06 million UAH from his primary position at Ukrzaliznytsia. At the same time, he continues to live in the scandalous 192 sq. m apartment and uses a car formerly owned by his ex-wife. The combination of the position of advisor to the Office of the President and Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of a state company is a classic conflict of interest, which has been publicly noted by media and opposition deputies. Leshchenko considers the criticism against him politically motivated.