Ukrainian MP Oleh Tarasov declared receiving UAH 21 million (approx. $530,000) in gifts in 2024 from his father Serhiy Tarasov, a businessman currently suspected of misappropriating land designated for the military.
Tarasov, who heads the Subcommittee of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy, was listed among the wealthiest MPs in YouControl’s R&D Center analysis of asset declarations for 2024. According to his declaration, his total income last year amounted to UAH 22.8 million — a 33% increase compared to 2023 — with the vast majority coming from gifts provided by his father.
Serhiy Tarasov is the owner of the I&U Group agroholding based in Kirovohrad region. He is currently hiding abroad while facing suspicion in a criminal case regarding the illegal transfer of state-owned agricultural land through the Main Department of the State Geocadastre in Kirovohrad region.
In 2022, Oleh Tarasov also received significant financial support from his father — UAH 8.5 million — according to his official declaration. In a comment to Bihus.Info at the time, the MP said he was unaware whether these funds were under arrest as part of criminal proceedings.
Apart from Serhiy Tarasov, eight more individuals have been named as suspects in the case. Among them are officials from companies controlled by Tarasov, one of the top managers of the regional Geocadastre, private notaries, and intermediaries. Charges include abuse of power and laundering of assets acquired through criminal means.
Experts warn that gifts from family members in such amounts may serve as a method of money laundering. Olena Shcherban, a lawyer at the Anti-Corruption Action Center, notes that the legal term “gift” may act as a loophole for legalizing funds of suspicious origin. The National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) is the authority responsible for verifying the legitimacy of such declarations, although it remains unclear whether the origin of these funds has been independently investigated.
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