BEB Leadership Attestation Begins Amid Doubts Over Officials' Integrity
Ukraine has started the attestation of the Bureau of Economic Security (BEB) leadership as part of reforms following the appointment of a new director; several officials' relatives have accumulated significant assets inconsistent with declared incomes.
On July 13, Ukraine launched the attestation interviews for the leadership of the Bureau of Economic Security (BEB), a key step in reforming the agency. The process, which must be completed within 18 months, covers over 1,200 employees. Two commissions of 12 members each were formed, half appointed by the BEB director and half by international organizations. In case of a tie, a decision requires support from at least three international members.
Before the first stage began, more than 64% of the 50 leaders scheduled for evaluation had already left their posts. However, among the remaining candidates, several have raised concerns due to discrepancies in their declarations and lifestyle.
Serhiy Zhuravlov, deputy head of the Volyn regional office, saw his wife's income jump to 7.5 million UAH in 2024. She purchased a cafe with a health complex in Lutsk for 9.4 million UAH, despite the family's savings of only $180,000 and 300,000 UAH. She also owns two companies linked to a fraud case. Zhuravlov's father holds an elite apartment and cars used by the family.
Serhiy Muntian, head of the Odesa regional office, has alleged ties to former Odesa military commissar Yevhen Borysov, accused of illegal enrichment and involvement in a grain scheme. Muntian signed a response stating no grounds for investigating Borysov's assets. In November 2024, the State Bureau of Investigation searched Muntian's office. His wife, a judge, received a house in Odesa as a gift in 2018, declared at 380,000 UAH but worth at least $280,000.
Oleh Borysenko, head of the Chernivtsi office, declared $300,000 in cash in 2015 from selling an apartment gifted by his father. His father allegedly earned up to $200,000 annually in the 1990s through unregistered barter schemes. Borysenko's family owns a country house in the elite "Green Hills" estate, declared at 6.5 million UAH but with a market value near $1 million.
Vitaliy Perunin, head of the Kyiv region office, and his relatives bought three apartments in the same Kharkiv complex for nearly 5 million UAH. The sources of income are unclear: his mother worked at a hospital for minimum wage, and his wife opened a sole proprietorship only when her husband moved to the fiscal service. Perunin's pensioner mother gave him cars and cash, and in 2023 the family saved $54,000 from an income of 3.16 million UAH—over 80%.
The attestation is seen as critical for Ukraine's EU integration, as fighting corruption is a Brussels criterion. It also conditions $8.1 billion in financing from the IMF and European Commission.
