The mayor of Kivertsi, Kovalchuk, did not declare real estate, and his wife — a "priceless" luxury car

The mayor of Kivertsi, Kovalchuk, did not declare real estate, and his wife — a "priceless" luxury car

Oleksandr Kovalchuk, the mayor of the Kivertsi City Council in Volyn, did not indicate any real estate in his 2023 declaration — neither from himself nor from his family members.

This is mentioned in a journalistic investigation that raises questions about the official’s income transparency.

The mayor’s family includes his wife Iryna Kovalchuk, daughter Polina, and stepson Artem Lyashuk. None of them were found to have declared real estate. At the same time, Iryna Kovalchuk owns a luxury car — a 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC 250 D. The car’s value is not specified in the declaration — the official cited "non-disclosure of information by a family member." In 2023, the average market price of this model was over 1.2 million hryvnias. The failure to indicate the value violates the norms of the "Prevention of Corruption" law and may be grounds for investigation by NACP.

Kovalchuk himself drives a 2007 Dacia Logan, although he actually uses a 2022 Renault Koleos crossover, which was purchased by the local polyclinic with budget funds. Incidentally, until August 2023, the official had been driving for six years without a driver’s license.

In 2023, Kovalchuk declared an income of 714 thousand hryvnias, while his wife, as an entrepreneur, earned 2.17 million hryvnias. The family did not declare any cash or bank savings at all. This may attract the interest of NACP, particularly regarding whether the wife’s business is related to city council contracts.

Let us remind you, in April 2024, Oleksandr Kovalchuk was suspected of embezzling over 6 million hryvnias during the purchase of used fuel trucks for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the investigation, he conspired with a familiar entrepreneur and inflated the price of the equipment. Furthermore, the police are investigating another case — regarding the purchase of Chinese tractors, during which some of the equipment was allegedly not delivered to the community.