Ukrainian PM Honcharuk Found to Have Thousands in Unpaid Utility Debts

Multiple lawsuits have been filed against the prime minister and his family.

Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk and his relatives owe around 21 thousand hryvnias for hot water, gas and other utility services.

This was reported by the Slidstvo.Info agency, after studying court orders from the Desnianskyi District Court of the city of Chernihiv.

The head of the Cabinet, his brother Oleh and another woman from the family had debts for hot water. In 2012 and 2014, the court ordered them to pay 8.4 and 7.8 thousand hryvnias to the utility company Oblteplokomunenergo. Another 4 thousand hryvnias in debt the court demanded be paid for housing office services — in 2011 and 2015, and over 1 thousand hryvnias in 2011 and 2014 the premier's family owed to Chernihivgaz.

The total debt for utility services exceeded 21 thousand hryvnias. However, it is unknown whether the premier and his relatives have paid off these debts.

When asked to comment on the situation, Honcharuk said he had not lived in Chernihiv for 19 years and promised to contact his brother to find out what is going on. After that, the prime minister stopped responding to journalists.

Oleksiy Honcharuk was officially elected prime minister of Ukraine at the first session of the new parliament on Thursday, August 29. Previously he was deputy head of the Office of the President.

By education, the new premier is a lawyer and worked as managing partner at one of the law firms. In 2014 he ran for the Verkhovna Rada from the Sila Liudei party. He was an unofficial adviser to former Minister of Ecology Ihor Shevchenko and First Deputy Prime Minister Stepan Kubiv.