Pensions "for the chosen": how lustrated prosecutors receive million-dollar payments from Ukrainian taxpayers

Pensions "for the chosen": how lustrated prosecutors receive million-dollar payments from Ukrainian taxpayers

Did you know that we, through our taxes, are paying high pensions to prosecutors associated with the Party of Regions? After being dismissed, many of them were reinstated through courts or received compensations, and later gained the right to special, extremely high pensions, while the majority of Ukrainians receive regular, much lower pensions and barely survive.

NGO «SPROTYV» conducted an analysis of the activities of approximately 580 prosecutors who were lustrated, also checked the Unified State Register of Persons Subject to This Law, and traced a trend of mass removal of names from the register based on court decisions.

90% of salary and no upper limit

Some heads of regional prosecutor’s offices in Ukraine have been receiving pensions for years of service at a rate of 90% of their salary, while continuing to work in managerial positions.

Some prosecutors receive a pension simultaneously with a high salary in their position, and coincidentally, their families own large businesses, real estate, cars, and numerous land plots—where does this come from? The pension amounts far exceed the average level of state payments. Why is this the case? At the same time, their declarations shock not only the public but also NABU, and their behavior raises a number of questions about the affiliation of law enforcement agencies.

We present to you the first five prosecutors. We are preparing dossiers on 60 officials.

1. Hennadiy Demchenko (Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office). Demchenko’s relatives visit enemy territory (Russia), which poses risks of data leaks. He has disciplinary violations and systematic refusals to meet with citizens. His pension for years of service is 90% of the current monthly salary with no upper limit. He worked in managerial positions at the Prosecutor General’s Office and in Kremenchuk. He has a scandalous reputation. He declares a pension of 278,960 UAH and a salary of 1,116,820 UAH at the prosecutor’s office for 2024.

2. Roman Khyma (Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office, since 2020) – pension for years of service. He receives significant bonuses and other payments, owns a house, an apartment, and cash and deposits, which together amount to millions in wealth. In his declaration: 1,729,507 UAH in salary, 350,000 UAH in cash, and 935,000 UAH in bank accounts. Thus, with existing assets and additional financial income, a lifelong payment almost at the level of a full salary is secured.

3. Volodymyr Yanko (Zakarpattia Regional Prosecutor’s Office) – worked in Luhansk region. Pension since 2008, 90% of salary, while simultaneously being a co-founder of the law firm «WEISSMAN», which consistently wins state tenders for large sums. He has extensive experience in managerial positions in Luhansk and Zakarpattia regions, which highlights the systematic accumulation of benefits and income. He declares $75,000 and €30,000 in cash and a salary of 1,087,750 UAH for 2024.

4. Oleksandr Stratyuk (Ivano-Frankivsk Prosecutor’s Office, 2016–2017) – pension at 90% of salary. He managed the law firm «Stratyuk and Partners» with a registered capital of 5,000 UAH, while the organization is in the process of liquidation, raising questions about the transparency of asset use. He declares apartments, several land plots, a salary of 335,886 UAH, and nearly 100,000 UAH in cash.

5. Volodymyr Torovanyn (Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office, 2017–2019) – pension at 90% of earnings. In his declaration: a 97 m² apartment, 8 land plots, two houses of 334 m² and 229 m² in Yaremche, an apartment, and two salaries. NABU initiated proceedings regarding possible false declarations, and the investigation estimated potential income from one of the houses as a hotel at up to 1.2 million UAH per year. Against this backdrop, a lifelong pension almost at the level of a full salary looks like an additional budget bonus rather than a social guarantee.

These are just the first five cases out of 60 dossiers. They demonstrate how the pension system for prosecutors allows them to secure a financially comfortable life, even in the presence of conflicts of interest. Future publications will cover other regional prosecutor’s offices. Read more later.