Lawmaker Khalimon to be removed from deputy head of Zelensky's party faction position over alleged attempt to hide mansion purchase

The Kyiv Independent news desk
·2 min read
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Head of the ruling parliamentary faction Servant of the People, Davyd Arakhamiia, said that his deputy Pavlo Khalimon would be fired after Ukrainska Pravda had published an investigation uncovering Khalimon's luxury purchase. According to the publication, lawmaker Khalimon bought a mansion in central Kyiv in the summer of 2022, in the middle of Russia's full-scale invasion, and registered it for another person.

"The ethical component of this act contradicts our values and our vision of what a lawmaker should do during the war. For this, Pavlo Khalimon will be dismissed from the post of deputy head of our faction," Arakhamiia wrote on Telegram.

He called on law enforcement agencies to start an investigation into the alleged hidden purchase. "If the law was violated, (he) must be punished for it," Arakhamiia added.

In its investigation published on Jan. 23, Ukrainska Pravda media outlet alleged that Khalimon purchased an estate in the center of Kyiv for over Hr 10 million (about $280,000) while the actual prices for the houses in this area are about Hr 50-60 million ($1.4-1.6 million).

According to the investigation, Khalimon tried to hide the purchase by registering the estate as the property of Anastasiia Kotelenets, who is affiliated with Khalimon's former assistant.

Earlier in the day, Arakhamiia wrote that corrupt officials would be held accountable and many arrests would take place this spring. "Some people have lost their minds and loot without fear or remorse…If it doesn't work humanely, it will work according to the laws of wartime."

Arakhamiia added that the competition for the position of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau's (NABU) director would end soon, which means Ukraine will finish the "creation of an independent anti-corruption infrastructure."

Several scandals have recently erupted in Ukraine due to reports of corruption in state institutions, including an investigation accusing the defense ministry of food purchases at inflated prices.