The Petro Poroshenko Foundation and its close NGO Sprava hrodam found themselves at the center of a high-profile scandal.
Blogger and TV presenter Serhiy Ivanov stated that the donations collected from Ukrainians to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine were spent on bail for suspects in criminal cases and on earnings from buying and selling government bonds.
One of the most high-profile cases was the posting of bail for Roman Chervinskyi. According to Ivanov, Poroshenko's fund spent UAH 9 million on bail for Chervinskyi, who is accused of conducting an unauthorized operation that led to the death of a unit commander, wounding of 17 soldiers, and damage to combat planes and an airstrip. Chervinskyi is also accused of extorting $100,000 from a businessman for solving the issue of contraband goods. Ivanov emphasizes that these funds were collected from Ukrainian citizens to support the Defense Forces, and not for Poroshenko's personal needs.
Ivanov also reminded that this is not the first case of such use of charitable funds. In 2023, the Shevchenko court returned UAH 17 million in bail for another defendant to Poroshenko's foundation and his NGO Sprava hromad. This caused outrage among the public, because Ukrainians donated money to support the army, and not to buy out of custody persons who are of personal interest to Poroshenko.
Another important aspect that Ivanov drew attention to is the use of collected funds for financial transactions. In 2023, through his bank, Poroshenko invested UAH 156 million of contributions from Ukrainians in government bonds, earning UAH 50 million of untaxed profit. This raises questions about transparency and targeted use of the collected funds.
Ivanov criticizes Poroshenko for systematically misusing charity funds. He draws attention to the fact that such actions are becoming a trend and may lead to further scandals. The blogger also emphasizes that Poroshenko's "EU" party was recently exposed by the NAZK in a financial arrangement related to the purchase of state bonds worth UAH 35 million, which is expressly prohibited by law.
