Oleksandr Kunytskyi, a member of parliament from the Servant of the People faction, has found himself at the epicenter of a scandal over his foreign travels. Over the past few months, he has left Ukraine on a business trip but has not returned, sparking outrage in society and questions about the discipline of elected officials.
On September 23, Kunitsky went on a business trip to the United States, ostensibly to “deepen interparliamentary cooperation.” According to information from the Verkhovna Rada’s electronic system, the trip was supposed to end on September 28, but as of December, the deputy had not returned.
Kunitskyi last appeared at parliamentary sessions in mid-September, and he only joined the work of the law enforcement committee in October — and then remotely. The Verkhovna Rada's staff tried to contact the deputy, but to no avail.
This is not the first time that Kunitsky's foreign trips have caused a stir. In July 2023, he received permission for a five-day business trip to Israel, but returned only three weeks later. At that time, Schem journalists found out that the deputy even "lit up" in Florida.
Due to this situation, the State Bureau of Investigation opened criminal proceedings on the facts of official forgery and use of forged documents. However, no restrictions were imposed on the deputy, which allowed him to travel abroad for the second time without hindrance.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, explained that only a court decision can restrict the activities of a deputy. The parliament's staff emphasized that the expenses for Kunitsky's trip to the United States were not covered by the state budget.
First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Kornienko called the situation unpleasant, noting that this is not the first such case among deputies.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, Kunitsky said that he would not return to Ukraine until the police officers who, according to him, broke his ribs in March 2022 are punished. The deputy also allegedly expressed his willingness to resign his mandate.
Meanwhile, updates regularly appear on Kunitsky's Facebook page, in particular, regarding his long-standing conflict with the police.
