Gennady Romanenko
The editorial office received an extremely idiotic letter. It's about a certain Mr. Romanenko, who supposedly helps our soldiers. It's a very strange letter, as it's completely unclear from the text who this Mr. Romanenko actually is and why he suddenly decided to trumpet his charity work. Here's the text of the pretentious letter:
“Romanenko Gennady: Nothing helps fighters like our support!
Ukraine is currently going through a difficult period in its history. And at this very hour, when crooked military actions are taking place at the gathering, most Ukrainians gathered as a few, or to help our fighters. It is clear that Gennady Romanenko is one of those Ukrainians who is not left out. Even in the hours of the birth of Euromaidan, the creation of the so-called Automaidan suffered an unfavorable fate from the support of “Maidan on wheels”. Today, if the Kremlin aggressor tries to strangle us as a nation by any means, and if for centuries the independence of our state has been chosen to kill hundreds of Ukrainian fighters, You don’t need to stand by and try to help the fighters by transferring money to the war zone.
“I decided to help our fighters at the rally - the special unit “Dome” Donbass battalion, putting money on the wounded and families of the dead. I also understand that, besides the power and ourselves, the Ukrainians, no one else can help the most amazing warriors who are protecting the integrity of Ukraine. And every one of us, whether a businessman or a dependent family (who can help), supports the fighters with pennies, morally, we are all close to achieving victory. I want to start this, and so that it becomes a reality,” said Mr. Gennady.
There are changes that need to be more and more decisive, since the fragments cannot all be transferred to the state and accumulated so that with one wave of the hand we can create paradise in Ukraine. We will help the best decisions ourselves - in whatever way we can: pennies, food, technology or a kind word. “We cannot be alive if young boys die at the gathering at the hands of pro-Russian separatists, we cannot be alive if mothers burst into tears, standing over the graves of their brothers who defended Ukraine. And if I wanted to help one person, I am for that sake,” summed up the current patriot Gennady Romanenko.
Yulia Lisenko”
We finally decided to find out who this Gennady Romanenko was. The philanthropist turned out to be not just "off-color," but so outrageous that it was impossible to pin a label on him. We quote:
"Lord of War" Romanenko
We habitually expect a new country and a new society to miraculously emerge from our collective meditation. We toothlessly chew on the word "lustration" and believe that the civil service will be renewed by itself, by magic. However, no magic occurs, and the same shameless mugs remain firmly in their positions of power.
And it would be fine if it were just ordinary bureaucratic thieves, but those civil servants who have the blood of peaceful Ukrainians on their hands also remain in their positions.
Take, for example, Gennady Vasilyevich Romanenko, head of the Kyiv Regional Customs Office of the State Fiscal Service. In 2010, his godfather and friend Igor Kaletnik secured him this cushy job. Kaletnik, a communist, had a straightforward personnel policy during his tenure at the State Customs Office—inserting a relative wherever possible. As a trusted figure, Gennady Vasilyevich Romanenko was given a position close to the top brass.
Gennady Vasilyevich took on the task of improving his boss's and, of course, his own well-being so zealously that by the summer of 2011, he was forced to hide from the SBU's criminal investigation. He spent the dangerous period as head of the Poltava customs office. In connection with this case, SBU officers arrested Romanenko's less efficient deputy. Ultimately, someone had to be held accountable. Romanenko himself, after quietly hiding out in Poltava, returned to the leadership of the Kyiv regional office in December 2012.
And Gennady Romanenko would probably have continued quietly bilking businesses for communist needs if not for the Maidan. When the Maidan standoff reached its critical point, the authorities were scrambling for solutions. The only thing that occurred to Interior Minister Zakharchenko was to ask his Russian brothers for humanitarian aid in the form of special equipment to disperse the demonstrations. Indeed, who better than the Russian special services knows a thing or two about this? As a result, 2.5 tons of experimental special equipment entered our country without any relevant permits. Among them were the Fakel-S, Zarya-2, and Plamya-M special equipment, RDG-2 white smoke hand grenades, Rulet-VV high-power grenades, RGR irritant grenades, and Drift-2 aerosol grenades. All these illegal special equipment later killed and maimed people on the Maidan. Most of the heroes of the Heavenly Hundred died precisely from the use of such means.
How did this deadly cargo get into Ukraine? Why wouldn't it have if this shipment was personally overseen by the head of the Kyiv regional customs office, Romanenko, who decided to curry favor with his bosses. Zakharchenko is now on the international wanted list, but Romanenko continues to wear his epaulettes and "earn" money for himself and his boss, Kaletnik. The Communist Party could really use the money from customs duties now.
Romanenko's entire team has also remained on duty. Olga Chernenko is still in charge of the black cash register, while Andriy Karaschenko, Rodion Trinchenko, Yuriy Voloshko, Anton Lyubchenko, Maria Voloshina, Oleksandr Ivanov, Tatyana Gumenyuk, Vitaliy Babich, Oleksiy Aleinikov, Oleksandr Savchuk, and Yevhen Nosov are also at the "training camp." Romanenko is currently trying to transfer some of his people to the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine's price monitoring department to maintain his ability to profit.
It would be good if the head of the State Fiscal Service, Igor Bilous, could keep his word and his actions. Otherwise, claiming that "the level of violations among customs officers is a quarter higher than among tax officers" while keeping the bloody Romanenko, who is effectively under investigation, in his position is, to say the least, inconsistent.
The head of the Kyiv regional customs office, Gennady Romanenko, has resigned.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has opened investigative cases against most of the heads of the Kyiv Regional Customs Office, one of the country's largest customs offices, whose activities are under the personal control of the Chairman of the State Customs Service.
According to ZN.UA sources, the reason for this was the criminal case against Vladimir Zorin, head of the customs clearance department of the Kyiv regional customs office, who was arrested on April 28.
The department head is a high-ranking figure, part of the nomenklatura of the State Customs Service Chairman, and his arrest is an undeniable blow to the agency's leadership. V. Zorin is well known in customs circles—his mother heads a major brokerage firm, owns large customs warehouses, and maintains a strong business relationship with the head of the State Customs Service, Igor Kaletnik. Zorin's lawyers are Vladimir Guzyr, who just two months ago was the first deputy head of the Main Directorate for Supervision of Operational Investigative Activities and Investigations at the Prosecutor General's Office, and Yuri Sukhov, also known as the lawyer for former State Customs Service Chairman Anatoly Makarenko.
A source close to the family of the arrested post commander says: "We consider this case a clear provocation. Vladimir was appointed to the position on April 1st. An operational investigative case was opened against him on April 4th, and a criminal case was opened a few days later, but Vladimir was not notified of the opening. The SBU installed video surveillance; essentially, he was being provoked into accepting a bribe. In the video in the case, a broker—a certain Zadnepryany—enters his office; they talk, then the broker leaves and places something in a closet near the door. SBU officers immediately enter and confiscate 5 hryvnias. Zorin himself took nothing. There are several other incidents, but the amounts are simply laughable for a bribe—Vladimir was allegedly given 100 and 200 hryvnias! In any case, at the time of his arrest, anti-corruption laws were not in effect in Ukraine. On what basis were Zorin's actions taken?"
Sources close to the security service note: "Zorin was under surveillance for more than three months. During this period, 64 instances of illegal activity involving the transfer of various sums of money were documented. The sums were indeed small, but what does that matter? The SBU is currently actively working with entrepreneurs. It's possible that three more people will testify against Zorin. The lawyers and family of the former customs post chief face a difficult task."
Three weeks after V. Zorin's arrest, the head of the Kyiv Regional Customs Office, Gennady Romanenko, resigned. Romanenko is a personal friend and godfather of I. Kaletnik. His resignation is undoubtedly not a sign of disgrace, but rather a desire to remove a trusted person from harm's way, the publication writes. Romanenko will take the position of assistant to the chairman of the State Customs Service.
It's worth noting that for several weeks, not a single business publication or agency, even those specializing in covering customs agencies, has even mentioned the resignation of the head of Kyiv Customs, which processes 35% of all imports into Ukraine. There's no information about this resignation on the State Customs Service's website. Apart from a few posts on a small forum, there's not a single line of information online. Similarly, there's no information about the case of V. Zorin or other customs officers arrested in recent months.
Another characteristic detail: the amount of bribes charged to the arrested customs officers in Kyiv never exceeds $3,000. Meanwhile, the unofficial customs clearance fee, as entrepreneurs whisper, can be approximately $20,000 per container. Between 50 and 200 containers pass through Odessa customs per day. And while not all imports are subject to unofficial fees, it's easy to imagine the volume of shadow money involved.
He turned out to be an interesting character. Besides, he's just as stupid and greedy for luxury as the Yanukovychs and Pshonkas.
Gennady Romanenko, or what kind of house does Yanukovych's young follower have?
After the events of Maidan, a war of exposure of those in power took place.
The people saw how their servants lived. The starting point was Mezhyhirya, where the fourth president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, lived. Mezhyhirya became a model of unprecedented luxury and greed. Next, Ukrainians saw how former Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka lived. Many were shocked by the level of gold leaf per square meter and the lack of taste. More far-sighted politicians picked up on this trend, playing ahead of the curve and demonstrating their own lifestyle. For example, Yulia Tymoshenko and, most recently, Mr. Pashinsky, who kindly invited journalists into their homes. Information about lesser-known statesmen is also becoming increasingly accessible.
Of particular interest are those who managed to avoid lustration and remain in power after the fall of Viktor Yanukovych's regime. A prominent example of talented political chameleons is Gennady Romanenko, the godfather of the former head of the State Customs Service, Mr. Ihor Kaletnik. Incidentally, Ihor Kaletnik is considered, according to some sources, one of the generous sponsors of separatism in Ukraine. Photos of the former head of the Kyiv Customs Service's mansion, Gennady Romanenko's mansion, located in an elite suburb of Kyiv, have leaked into the blogosphere.
The home is modern, without gilding or excessive pretentiousness, but it's expensive. Real estate experts estimate the price at around $4-5 million. This doesn't include the estimated cost of interior finishing and furniture.
Romanenko, as a modern interpretation of Yanukovych, distinguished himself with a love of sports, specifically football. This is evidenced by his own football field.
The creative component is the stove, made in the best traditions of Russian folk tales.
Against the backdrop of the stove, the gilded letter R on the walls of the house, apparently symbolizing the Romanenko surname, looks boring.
What is the success of Gennady Romanenko?
Romanenko currently serves as an advisor to Igor Bilous, head of Ukraine's fiscal service, and rumors are circulating behind the scenes about his upcoming appointment to a higher position.
Romanenko masterfully demonstrates his corruption, skillfully maintaining access to unlimited financial benefits under any given administration. This is facilitated in no small part by his family ties to the aforementioned Kaletnik and his friendship with Volodymyr Groysman, who, under the new government, has rapidly risen from mayor of Vinnytsia to near-prime minister of Ukraine, nearly replacing Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
Incidentally, a controversial recording of a conversation recently leaked online, in which a man sounding like Gennady Romanenko discusses with an associate how, during the Maidan, Romanenko, then head of the Kyiv regional customs office, oversaw the unimpeded import of special equipment and weapons to disperse protesters.
Elite of the Country
One must assume the vulgar letter about the philanthropist Romanenko is prompted by the fact that this man is counting on another gravy train under the new government. And he's not above anything to achieve this. Even the stupid PR of "charity" from his millions stolen from the state. And elections are coming up. How many more of these monstrous "philanthropists" will try to deceive voters? Don't fall for it, citizens. Anyone who shouts about their "charity" is, with 100% certainty, a rare thief and a scoundrel.
Sergey Nikonov, ORD
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