Ukraine's Millionaire Officials Come Out of Hiding

If you believe his mandatory income and property declaration, Serhiy Melnichuk, a Ukrainian legislator with a military past, should be one of the wealthiest people in the world. The document says he holds 1 trillion hryvnias ($39 billion) in cash. That's almost twice Ukraine's planned revenue for this year and enough to buy most of the country; the amount in dollars would fill a fleet of 390 midsize SUVs.

It's not an error but an intentional misstatement, Melnichuk said Monday. The legislator explained that he declared the nonexistent trillion to draw attention to a depressing outcome of a campaign intended to demonstrate Ukraine's commitment to eradicating corruption. Returns filed before the Sunday deadline show that many Ukrainian officials and legislators have taken the opportunity to legalize many years of unofficial income and create an official justification for their lavish lifestyles.