The Servant of the People party is suspending membership in its faction of Member of Parliament Oleksiy Kovaliov, who is currently in the temporarily occupied territory of Kherson Oblast. The faction believes that Kovaliov is communicating with the Russian military, so the party appealed to the Security Service of Ukraine and the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office.
This is stated in a joint statement of the "Servant of the People" party and its faction in the Verkhovna Rada.
The Peopleʼs Servant is surprised that the Russians are not touching Kovaliov, while hundreds of activists, mayors, and deputies have already been abducted by the occupiers.
"He is communicating with the Russian military, which is not taking any action against him. He does not take part in the national resistance to Russian aggression and occupation [...]. In addition, he does not attend plenary sessions of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and does not participate in voting for important bills in martial law. Deputy Kovaliov did not provide adequate explanations about his current status, behavior, and statements to the factionʼs leadership", the statement said.
In "Servant of the People" the behavior of the MP is considered treacherous, therefore they ask the Security Service of Ukraine and the Prosecutorʼs Office to begin an investigation. Kovaliovʼs membership in the faction has been suspended.
- When Russia started a full-scale war, Oleksiy Kovaliov went home to Kherson oblast— in the territory already occupied by the Russians. He was let in without hindrance. A few weeks ago, the Russian military came to Kovaliov, spent several hours with him, and left.
- In an interview with Babel, First Vice-Speaker Kornyienko called the situation with Kovaliov strange. The Member of Parliament spoke about distrust from fellow party members and declared that he is ready to pass the polygraph testing.