100 days abroad: How senior officials of the OPG travel during the war

100 days abroad: How senior officials of the OPG travel during the war

While a full-scale war continues in Ukraine, some high-ranking officials from the Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG) are actively traveling the world, using funds from international donors and taxpayers.

"Advisor and his world tour"

It was previously revealed that the advisor to former Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, Maksym Popov, after obtaining a second group disability status, is actively traveling the world. He visited Washington, Berlin, Geneva, Rome, and other cities, spending more than 100 days abroad on supposedly business trips.

But he is not the only one. An official response from the OPG indicates that during 2023-2024, 443 decrees for foreign trips of prosecutors and advisors were issued.

State funds for training in the USA

The OPG is a recipient of international technical assistance under project 5092, funded by the US government. The total budget for 2023 was $9,999,895. From these funds:

• $1,000,000 was allocated to "American University Kyiv";

• $932,971 to Georgetown University.

With this funding, an intensive legal English course for 5 OPG representatives was organized in Washington in November-December 2023. All expenses were covered by American taxpayers.

Who and how much received for "Training"

By the order of the Prosecutor General dated 24.10.2023 No. 186-vd, the following were sent on a business trip:

1. Viktoriya Litvinova (Deputy Prosecutor General) – 34 days in the USA, daily allowance 103,701 UAH, November salary – 190,167 UAH, December salary – 323,055 UAH (of which 218,663 UAH is a bonus).

2. Oleksiy Bonyuk (Head of the Department of Criminal Policy) – 39 days, daily allowance 109,415 UAH, November salary – 85,715 UAH, December salary – 295,392 UAH (211,684 UAH is a bonus).

3. Veronika Plotnikova (Head of the Victim Support Coordination Center) – 39 days, daily allowance 109,415 UAH, November salary – 83,363 UAH, December salary – 131,203 UAH (47,840 UAH is a bonus).

4. Yuliya Usenko (Head of the Child Protection Department) – 34 days, daily allowance 103,701 UAH, November salary – 93,161 UAH, December salary – 321,890 UAH (217,070 UAH is a bonus).

5. Suzanna Savchuk (Head of the Information Policy Department) – 39 days, daily allowance 109,416 UAH, November salary – 86,912 UAH, December salary – 142,067 UAH (47,840 UAH is a bonus).

Are such expenses justified during war?

Thus, an average of 200,000 UAH per month was paid to each participant for English language learning, not including expenses for flights, accommodation, and training at Georgetown University.

Particularly cynical appears the absence of Litvinova, who is responsible for protecting the rights of minors, environmental crimes, and the penitentiary system, from her workplace for over a month.

Wouldn’t it have been better to direct these funds to the real needs of a country at war?