At least five candidates who applied for the post of director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine may have skeletons in their cupboards, the Transparency International Ukraine nongovernmental organization (TIU NGO) has said.

"If we have questions on the dubious past of candidates at the level of declarations of candidates, what will be the director of the structure which should decisively fight corruption in the country?" Chairman of the Board of Transparency International Ukraine NGO Andriy Marusov said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Monday.

He said that this chiefly concerns the candidacy of Chief Military Prosecutor of Ukraine Anatoliy Matios: according to his declaration his income totaled UAH 264,000 in 2014, while his wife's income totaled UAH 34.7 million.

TIU also has questions about the following candidates: Head of the Interpol Bureau in Ukraine Kyrylo Kulikov, lawyer Yuriy Sukhov, Head of the Chief Investigative Department of SBU Vasyl Vovk and former MP Yuriy Trehubov.

Marusov said that a total of 176 persons have applied for the post of director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, and that the tender commission has rejected 60 candidates. Among the 116 remaining candidates are 10 foreigners.

According to the TIU, mistakes were made in the declarations of almost half of the candidates.

TIU intends to send its official conclusion to the tender commission soon.