Nikolai Tishchenko failed to declare one million dollars

Nikolai Tishchenko, a People's Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine from the Servant of the People faction, has been placed under investigation over possible violations related to his illegal enrichment. 

The Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation under a criminal case opened pursuant to Article 368-5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — Illegal Enrichment, after it was discovered that the value of property actually used by the deputy and his family significantly exceeds their official income.

The investigation is primarily focused on several real estate properties and a vehicle registered in the names of third parties, which, according to investigators, were actively used by Tishchenko and his close relatives. These assets include an apartment, a house, and two land plots with a market value exceeding 30 million hryvnia. These properties were registered in the name of a businessman linked to the deputy through notarial transactions. Attention was also drawn to a Mercedes-Benz V 250 purchased for 1.62 million hryvnia but registered in the name of the same businessman.

According to the investigation, this scheme of registering property in the names of other individuals may have been used to avoid declaring it. In June 2024, searches were conducted at the apartments of Tishchenko and his wife, yielding results that formed the basis for further suspicions. During the search of the deputy's apartment, $171,550, €150,000, and luxury ROYAL OAK OFF SHORE watches were seized, while $320,000 and €240,100 were found in the apartment of his wife, Alla Baranovska.

In his 2023 declaration, Tishchenko listed large amounts of cash, which, according to him, belong to his wife and are the result of her entrepreneurial activities. 

However, the investigation doubts the legality of these income sources. It is noteworthy that immediately after Tishchenko received his parliamentary mandate in 2019, his wife began receiving significant income from her business. Moreover, her father also sharply increased his income after registering as an entrepreneur.

For the period from 1998 to 2024, the deputy and his family reported the following income: Tishchenko earned 7.5 million hryvnia, while his wife earned 42.6 million hryvnia, the majority of which was received after 2019. Nabu investigators believe that this growth may indicate attempts to launder illegally obtained funds through the income of close relatives.

Regarding Tishchenko's father, the investigation revealed that his income for the period from 1998 to 2024 amounted to 12.5 million hryvnia. Notably, from 2000 to 2019, his income did not exceed 212,000 hryvnia, but after he registered as an entrepreneur in 2020, his income began to rise sharply.

Nabu detectives established that since 2016, both Tishchenko and his father have received income from the company OOO Infostay, also known as Concord. The investigation continues to analyse the income and expenses of the deputy and his family, suspecting that their sources may be concealed to hide actual financial flows.

In light of all these circumstances, Tishchenko's 2023 declaration raises reasonable doubts.