Poroshenko Calls for Banning Oligarchs From Influencing Ukrainian Gov't

Ukrainian oligarchs should not be allowed to influence the government, President Petro Poroshenko said Thursday.

KIEV (Sputnik) — Ukraine's economy must be demonopolized, Poroshenko told Ukrainian reporters in an interview broadcast by Inter TV channel.

"We need to demonopolize Ukraine's economy and ban oligarchs from influencing authorities."

The president also said that he financed his presidential campaign himself, and had not received "a penny of assistance to this day."

Poroshenko is considered to be one of the richest men in Ukraine. He has been dubbed the Chocolate King because of the $1.3-billion wealth he has made in the confectionery business.

His primary asset is the Roshen Confectionery Corporation, founded in 2005. Last year, Poroshenko vowed to sell off the business in order to focus on governance if he won presidential office. He eventually did, but the company is reported to still be in his property.

In early May, Bloomberg said that Nestle had offered $1 billion for Poroshenko’s Roshen, which saw a 20-percent slump in revenues after Russia banned its imports. According to Bloomberg’s sources, the president declined the offer of the Swiss-based food firm as he considered his business to be worth three times the price.