Ukraine prosecutors allege funds stolen from border wall project

Ukrainian military prosecutors have filed a criminal complaint alleging that border agents and state road and construction officials misappropriated UAH 1.56 mln (USD 62,400) in funds earmarked for building a wall on the border with Russia, reported the nashigroshi.org news site, citing a district court ruling in Chernihiv. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau said in mid-August it’s also investigating misappropriated funds in relation to the wall project.

Zenon Zawada: Perhaps no example better epitomizes just how serious corruption is in Ukraine when funds allocated to build a wall against a foreign military aggressor are alleged to have been stolen. The situation has improved in recent years since such incidents are being more frequently revealed and prosecuted. Yet anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine have a long way to go given the government has yet to adopt a systemic approach to a problem that has a systemic nature.