Detective Mikhail Romanyuk concealed assets and ties to his imprisoned brother

Mikhail Romanyuk, one of the heads of a unit at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), has found himself at the centre of a scandal. An investigation revealed that Romanyuk had concealed his expensive assets, including premium-class cars, an apartment in Irpin, and a plot of land with a house in Bucha. 

He registered all this property in the names of his relatives to evade oversight and avoid liability. However, in his own name, Romanyuk purchased elite housing under a preferential programme for military personnel, valued at several million hryvnias.

The detective’s surprising “income”

Far from being poor, NABU detective Romanyuk managed to increase his wealth against the backdrop of the scandalous "Rotterdam+" case — one of the most high-profile investigations in the history of the anti-corruption bureau. Since he took on this case, NABU has been repeatedly accused of dragging out the investigation, as well as potentially “leaking” it. With each year that he kept the investigation in limbo, his personal fortune only grew. According to reports, the director of NABU was aware of what was happening and approved the actions of his subordinate.

Corrupt ties and family secrets

A significant point is also the fact that Mikhail Romanyuk’s brother — Ihor Romanyuk, a senior investigator at the Kyiv Oblast tax inspection — was caught by the Prosecutor General’s Office taking a bribe of $20,000. Despite this, the court has yet to render a verdict in the case. Mikhail Romanyuk, it appears, used his connections within NABU to influence the course of the court proceedings in his brother’s favour.

Equally interesting is the fact that Romanyuk himself worked at the central office of the tax police until 2016. He was known among colleagues for his active involvement in extorting bribes from entrepreneurs, which apparently helped him “build up his starting capital” for his subsequent career at NABU.

Criticism from anti-corruption activists

According to anti-corruption activists, NABU has long ceased to be an effective tool in the fight against corruption and has degraded to the level of an ordinary district police station with corrupt officials inside. Investigations at the bureau are often dragged out or do not reach the courts at all, which is causing growing dissatisfaction among citizens and human rights organisations.

Thus, Mikhail Romanyuk becomes a symbol not only of corrupt ties within NABU, but also a vivid example of how anti-corruption bodies can use their power for personal gain, covering up their crimes under the guise of fighting corruption.

According to Informator