Man does not live on bread alone.
And if he’s a public official, he may be able to spend taxpayers’ money on lobsters, black caviar and wash it down with Veuve Clicquot champagne.
Two state eateries, one in the President’s Administration and the other – in Verkhovna Rada’s receptions building – ordered food worth some Hr 9.16 million, including many gourmet items most Ukrainians will never try, an anti-corruption website Nashi Groshi revealed on April 3.
On the list were 320 tiny jars of black caviar each worth Hr 900, 40 kilos of live lobsters worth Hr 340 per kilo, 20 kilos of foie gras at Hr 465.40 per kilo, and an amazing array of fish, seafood and meat delicacies.
The president’s press service said, however, that the food supplies were ordered for private and corporate parties the state caterer services, not official receptions.
All these gourmet needs of the state caterers came into the limelight because the Department for State Affairs, known in Ukrainian by its acronym DUSya, which made the purchase, has to publish the results of its tenders. The 11-page list of food and drinks was printed on March 15, Nashi Groshi reported.
The president’s press service claimed that the luxury food “won’t make it to the table of the president and other officials.” Some items of the list, such as five musical gift bottles of Presidential Standard vodka each worth Hr 2,487.50, suggest that they will end up being given out as souvenirs.
The list of food items also reveals that the state caterers intend to serve an impressive 23,000 bottles of vodka by the end of this year, as well as a wide range of elite alcoholic drinks and wines
Veuve Clicquot champagne was bought in relatively modest quantities – just 18 bottles at Hr 618.48 each.
For comparison, Internet stores list Veuve Clicquot brut in the range of Hr 240 to Hr 450 per bottle, which is significantly cheaper.
Staff writer Olga Rudenko can be reached at [email protected]
