The National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NAPC) is investigating MP Surkis for lobbying for legislation in the business interests of his younger brother.
The National Agency for Corruption Prevention has launched an investigation into Hryhoriy Surkis, a member of parliament from the former pro-Russian Opposition Platform – For Life party, on suspicion of a conflict of interest. This was stated in the agency's request to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, according to ZN.UA.
«The National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (…) is collecting evidence regarding the presence/absence of signs of administrative offenses related to corruption in the actions of the People's Deputy of Ukraine of the 9th convocation, Hryhoriy Mykhailovych Surkis, as provided for in Article 172-7 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses (prevention of conflicts of interest, — ed.).“- the NAPC request to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine states.
The National Agency for Prevention of Corruption suspects that Grigory Surkis may have lobbied for and personally voted for the bill amending the Law on Physical Culture and Sports, despite a conflict of interest.
As part of the investigation, the NAPC demanded from the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine the following: the agenda, minutes, transcript of the Verkhovna Rada Sports Committee, which considered the bill before it was submitted to the session hall, audio and video recordings of the relevant Committee meeting, information about the authors of the draft law, etc.
The document in question was allegedly initiated by the presidents of several football clubs that had recently been boycotting the Ukrainian Premier League's single TV pool. However, Ukrainian media immediately have been named It was the Surkis family that initiated and lobbied for this bill, since its adoption, in addition to the possibility of further blocking the TV pool, also provides commercial benefits for the businesses of the youngest of the Surkis families, Igor.
Since the latter is the owner of FC Dynamo and, at the same time, a co-owner of part of the 1+1 media group, by ignoring the UPL TV pool and transferring the TV rights to the "pluses", Surkis gains additional income.
"...Grigory Surkis was able to lobby for a document that would allow his family and brother, Igor Surkis, to profit twice from the television broadcast of football matches: first as the owner of FC Dynamo, and then as the owner of the 1+1 media group," she wrote on this matter. Gazeta.ua, emphasizing that Grigoriy Surkis is the secretary of the sports committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which reviewed the draft law at an unprecedentedly fast pace.
Let us recall that the lobbied bill defined the organizer of a football match as the "football club of the host team." At the same time, explained UEC Commission member Andriy Grivko said this new Ukrainian legislative norm contradicts international sports rules and undermines the development prospects of all our football clubs.
A petition has already appeared on the website for appeals to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calling for a veto of the "Surkis amendments" to Ukrainian sports legislation.
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