The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine is conducting searches of high-ranking ‘Sluga Naroda’ members in Odesa – media reports

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) is conducting searches at the homes of high-ranking “Sluga Naroda” officials in Odesa: the head of the regional council Hryhoriy Didenko and district council deputy Liliya Tomashevska.

This was reported by the publication “Dumskaya,” citing sources.

The publication notes that Tomashevska is effectively the head of the regional council’s administration and a very close associate of Didenko.

The reason for the searches is not yet known.

Earlier, it was reported that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced that they had exposed a “Sluga Naroda” MP taking a bribe of 3.4 million hryvnias (73,746 euros). Ukrainian journalists reported that the case involved Mykola Zadorozhny, who is suspected of extorting a bribe to not obstruct the carrying out of repair work on critical life-support infrastructure.

The “Sluga Naroda” party announced that Zadorozhny had been expelled from the party.

Zadorozhny denied the extortion charges made by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine. He also stated that he was excluded from “Sluga Naroda” at his own request “to depoliticize the process.” In addition, Zadorozhny requested to be expelled from the faction as well.