Ukrainian minister accused of boozing before budget

Published Jun 19, 2013

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A parliamentary hearing on Ukraine’s budget was suspended yesterday when opposition deputies alleged that a deputy finance minister presenting the budget report was drunk.

Anatoly Myarkovsky, the first deputy finance minister, spoke for 10 minutes on the government's budget performance last year.

But when questions were invited, deputies from Ukraine’s rowdy opposition called out: “He’s drunk.” One shouted: “Anyone within five meters can tell he reeks of someone who has been drinking vodka. Mr Speaker, go and sniff for yourself.”

Speaker Volodymyr Rybak declined, saying it was not up to him to check on the behaviour of government officials or deputies. But he suspended the budget hearing until it had been clarified whether Myarkovsky had been under the influence or not.

Myarkovsky himself left the chamber as Rybak was speaking. There was no formal word from his office.

A deputy of the ruling Regions party, Volodymyr Makeyenko, sprang to Myarkovsky’s defence.

“There wasn’t any smell of alcohol coming from the deputy minister. I have known him for 20 years and he’s a responsible person – these allegations are just an attempt by the opposition to undermine proceedings,” he said.

Ukraine’s parliament, where the Regions party holds a small majority, is often a theatre for physical tussles and fist fights among deputies. – Reuters

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