You're reading: Official: Yanukovych is not required to reveal companies he owns

The Presidential Administration has refused to say which companies Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych owns.

The Ukrainska Pravda online newspaper reported on Friday that First Deputy Presidential Administration Head Olena Lukash replied on its inquiry in a written form that this information was confidential.

"According to Article 37 of the law on information, official documents containing confidential information and the information regarding the personal life of citizens are not to be made public on an information inquiry," reads a letter by Lukash.

She also said that "the collection, storage, use and publication of confidential information, including information about the personal life of individuals, without their agreement, are prohibited.|"

Yanukovych wrote in the income declaration he had deposits of notional amount of UAH 6,500 in authorized capitals of enterprises and financial establishments. The Ukrainska Pravda wanted to know which enterprises Yanukovych had founded.

According to the newspaper, the presidential administration violated the law on information under which the answer to the inquiry is to be given within a month. The inquiry was registered in the presidential administration on June 5 and the reply from Lukash was signed on July 20.