Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk is being investigated by Ukraine’s National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NACP) for potential “serious violations in his declaration of monetary assets,” Ukrainian media reported on Sunday.
Among the issues found in the envoy’s declarations were discrepancies regarding his monetary assets, property, corporate rights, and submitted documents, raising significant concerns about the legitimacy of the reported wealth.
Korniychuk told authorities he had $4.8 million in his bank accounts and $3.5 million in cash, which adds up to over 131 million hryvnias based on the exchange rate in December 2021.
However, the NACP found that from 1998 to 2020, Korniychuk’s total income was only 28 million hryvnias, with him spending over 84 million hryvnias, including buying 24 apartments in Turkey.
In 2021, Korniychuk earned 122 million hryvnias. However, the NACP said he couldn’t have saved more than 138 million hryvnias. The difference, amounting to 40 million hryvnias, prompted the NACP to investigate the ambassador’s wealth.
The ambassador also failed to declare two residences in Israel that he and his son occupied throughout 2021. He explained that the embassy rented these properties, but the NACP could not verify the cost or details of these leases.
Significant violations
One of the primary issues was his false claim that he did not possess foreign passports, despite official records showing that both he and his children held valid passports. Additionally, Korniychuk misclassified his position as “civil service” rather than the required “diplomatic position.”
Furthermore, Korniychuk declared ownership of six luxury watches from high-end brands like Omega, Rolex, and Patek Philippe, but did not provide documentation or valuations for the items, raising doubts about their existence and value.
A significant violation in Korniychuk’s declaration was his failure to report the Corino Foundation, a Liechtenstein-based fund he created in 2007, which he only liquidated in 2024 after the NACP audit.
Other discrepancies included incorrect expense reporting, failing to declare his membership in the National Bar Association of Ukraine, and listing non-required compensation and education expenses. He also falsely claimed involvement in the NGO “City of Parks.”
The NACP has flagged these issues as potential criminal offenses, raising concerns about his financial transparency and contributing to the investigation of other Ukrainian officials for similar issues.
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