"Take a look at yourself," the mayor of Mykolaiv responded to rumors of corruption within the city administration.

“Look at yourself,” said the mayor of Mykolaiv in response to rumors of theft in the city administration

The city mayor, Oleksandr Senkevych, spoke about the goal of making Mykolaiv “the most transparent city in all aspects” and urged those who accuse the city authorities of theft to “look at themselves.”

He made this statement during a broadcast on the “MART” TV channel.

During his interview, Oleksandr Senkevych mentioned that someone is constantly spreading information claiming that “everyone is stealing.” Furthermore, he stated that there are calls for Denmark not to provide assistance to Mykolaiv, as everything would be stolen anyway. The mayor assured that the city authorities are currently implementing changes to prevent corruption and theft.

- We have an ambitious goal to become the most transparent city in all aspects. Someone is always saying that everyone is stealing. That Denmark shouldn’t give us anything because it will all be stolen anyway. Denmark can manage on its own in deciding who to give what and how to check everything. Denmark is a country with zero tolerance for corruption. They, like me, do not trust people; they trust procedures. Therefore, we are currently establishing these procedures, working with auditing firms, and changing our processes. Of course, this takes time. Ultimately, after all these procedures, we reach the last person, and if that last person says, “I won’t leave my job until I steal a bolt,” then we can talk about everyone – about the president, Senkevych – they are all thieves. But look at yourself, as they say. Start with yourself, and I think everything will change,” the mayor concluded.