Nasirov referred to NABU

Roman Nasirov, since his appointment has head of the State Fiscal Service, is a name that has regularly featured over the past few years in a less than favourable light.

To be fair, all previous appointees to head the SFS have been nefarious, untrustworthy, manipulative crooks engaged in numerous schemes and scams either directly or by covering them up – so Mr Nasirov is no exception.  Perhaps he is an exception in so much as he “meets his numbers” as far as the State budget is concerned.

Other than that, he is a man who is a bent as a fiddler’s elbow in the true tradition of leading the SFS.

However, of all the odious, criminal, borderline criminal, bad faith and otherwise nefarious shenanigans Mr Nasirov is and has been involved with that could easily have landed him in the NABU and NACP investigative sights, it appears that a trip to Donald Trump’s inauguration has managed to do so.

Seemingly Mr Nasirov headed to the USA for Mr Trump’s inauguration, going on vacation without the consent or coordination with the Minister of Finance (Mr Nasirov’s immediate boss, nor the Prime Minister, his ultimate boss.)  drawing a prickly statement by Finance Minister Danyluk – “Instead of implementing the task that he was given by the Ministry of Finance, the Government, and Parliament, he is engaged in self-PR. Moreover, he went on vacation, without coordinating this with the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister. He went to the US President’s inauguration,  very expensive pleasure.”

Naughty Mr Nasirov to act with such disregard for a Cabinet Minister and the Prime Minister – but such disregard there can be if you consider your position safe from the ire of either government figure.

Historically Mr Nasirov is right to think that his position is not under threat regardless of snubbed government ministers.  President Poroshenko has had to reply on the votes of those that back Mr Nasirov for his position.  Their price has been Nasirov will not be sacked and will continue to look less than critically, perhaps even helpfully, at some of their business schemes and scams.

Thus as long as Mr Nasirov “meets his numbers” for the State budget a blind eye has been turned – until now, when his holiday arrangements coincide with a clear flux within the Verkhovna Rada regarding attempts at coalition building vis a vis attempts at forcing early elections now begin to take on some momentum – either of which may change the forces keeping Mr Nasirov in his chair.

Further, Mr Nasirov’s ultimate string puller is licking wounds after PrivatBank left his fold.

Of course, some shameless personal PR whilst on holiday, albeit a holiday uncoordinated with you immediate bosses, is hardly an anti-corruption matter for NABU and NACP.  A disciplinary matter for sure, but anti-corruption investigations?

The issue made clear by an obviously irritated MinFin is that such a US jollyday does not come cheap and invitations to the inauguration events are not exactly easy tickets to get hold of.

So how much did Mr Nasirov pay to get a seat inside the inauguration functions, or if his ticket was free, gifts of such value would require declaring – and of course such a gift brings into question “tourism” as the vacation reason vis a vis a political visit by a top civil servant.

Who would lavish such gifts upon the Head of the Ukrainian State Fiscal Service – and why – are reasonable questions.

As Al Capone was nobbled for his taxes, it appears Mr Nasirov may get nobbled for his “tourism” – but only if the critical mass of presidential votes removes the need for Mr Nasirov’s current backers a reader has to suspect.