Pavel Petrenko
To seize control of a building in the center of the capital, another "hyena" of the Yatsenyuk government, Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko, staged a large-scale scam involving a "supervisor" and officials at various levels.
(Read more about it in the article Pavel Petrenko, the "pocket" boy of the Yatsenyuk "Family")
The vast building complex of Kyivproekt Public Joint Stock Company is located almost in the heart of the capital – at 16-22 Khmelnytsky Street. It's no wonder these premises have long been a target for raiders of various stripes, who, since 2005, have regularly attempted to seize this lucrative morsel. First, Kyivproekt was raided by Leonid Chernovetskyi's young team. Then, Viktor Yanukovych's greedy family took over, and only a miracle, protracted legal proceedings, and a change in government allowed the public joint stock company to survive.
However, what the “predecessors” failed to achieve is quite within the power of the current government – its working methods and appetites are the same, only it is much more agile.
Those in the know say that Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko is the main raider in Yatsenyuk's Cabinet. He was born in Chernivtsi, which is as significant a factor in the current government as his Donetsk residence permit under Yanukovych. He graduated from the law school of Chernivtsi University, worked as a lawyer at Oschadbank of Ukraine, and then established a private law practice. In 2009, he headed the legal department of the Front of Change party, earning him the nickname "Yatsenyuk's lawyer." For his services to his boss, he was promoted to minister in February of this year. He has made several high-profile, yet empty, statements regarding Crimea and Donbas. He has two undeniable "talents" – he is selflessly loyal to Yatsenyuk and places "his" people everywhere. The second "merit" of the Justice Minister will now be discussed.
The Unsinkable "Overseer"
One of the key "overseers" in Petrenko's ranks is a certain Mykhailo Fedeles, now presenting himself as an assistant to the Minister of Justice. Just a year ago, he served Yanukovych faithfully as the head of the SBU department in the Zakarpattia region. He distinguished himself by spying on journalists and representatives of the then-opposition parties, and by turning a blind eye to the separatist statements of supporters of Rusyn autonomy. Fedeles came to this "fat" position from customs after an audience with Andriy Trofimov, the right-hand man of former SBU director Oleksandr Yakimenko. Trofimov, a rich kid, was responsible for collecting tribute for his patron and earned the nickname "The Little Prince" for his precocious lifestyle. In February, he fled the country following Yakimenko. Fedeles, however, made a timely change of heart and found a new protector in Petrenko. He is currently responsible for several of the minister's projects, including overseeing the State Registration Service of Ukraine. The scandal surrounding the aforementioned Kyivproekt PJSC demonstrated the importance of this organization.
According to eyewitnesses, Pavel Petrenko buys black caviar worth 7,5 hryvnias at a supermarket.
So, to secure the Kyivproekt building without any hassle, Petrenko, Fedelesh, and their company decided to replace the head of the public joint-stock company. This is where Fedelesh, the "overseer," stepped in: those in the know claim he is indeed the "overseer," as the head of the Ukrainian State Register, Anna Onyshchenko, had granted him an office in the agency's back office without justification and had unquestioningly carried out all his instructions. After all, Ms. Onyshchenko's record shows no qualifications for the position; she was appointed solely out of personal loyalty to the minister. And when Fedelesh, the minister's overseer, demanded that the Ukrainian State Register illegally replace the head of Kyivproekt's board of directors and appoint a "loyal" person, the agency's head, Anna Onyshchenko, and her deputy, Artem Yanchuk, gave the go-ahead. What a disaster! The head and deputy head of the Department of State Registration of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs of the Ukrainian State Register refused to carry out the illegal order.
Hyena Methods
The retribution for their refusal was immediate: both officials were fired for violating the Oath of Civil Servant.
The scheme to fire the undesirables followed a classic pattern. The head of the Ukrainian State Register, Anna Onyshchenko, sent them to Mariupol—to the local city justice department—"to provide methodological and advisory assistance," meaning to the ATO zone. The orders were issued in violation of numerous regulations—in particular, they failed to specify who exactly was to receive the assistance or how. But most importantly, this assignment directly violated Decree No. 405/2014 of the Acting President of Ukraine dated April 14, 2014, which enacted the decision of the National Security and Defense Council dated April 13, "On Urgent Measures to Overcome the Terrorist Threat and Preserve the Territorial Integrity of Ukraine." According to this decision, officials cannot be sent on assignment to the ATO zone without their consent.
However, as it turns out, for the leaders of the Ukrainian State Register, the decree of the head of state is not an order!
The head and deputy head of the department for state registration of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs reasonably refused to go to Mariupol, and for this they were fired, allegedly in accordance with the Law "On Civil Service."
Both officials are currently challenging the actions of the State Register's management in court. However, their honest and legal position hasn't helped Oleksandr Khomich, the head of the board of PJSC Kyivproekt, retain his position. It's also unclear what their future holds. With the Minister of Justice personally overseeing the process, a positive court ruling is unlikely.
New old raiders
Meanwhile, the new head of Kyivproekt PJSC, Yaroslav Pidgayny, has taken over. Something tells us this is the same Yaroslav Pidgayny, the former Minister of Coal Industry during the Kuchma era, who was jailed for corruption and abuse of power (imagine what kind of criminal would have to be jailed for corruption under Kuchma's corrupt regime!). And this guy, apparently, is becoming the director of Kyivproekt.
That same Yaroslav Pidgainy
On August 4, he issued a decree dismissing Khomich, effective July 21, and assuming the post on the 24th! Such dismissals and retroactive appointments are a flagrant violation of the Labor Code. Overall, this whole mess around Kyivproekt and the dismissals of Ukrderzhrestr officials are direct violations of the Law "On Combating Illegal Acquisitions and Takeovers of Enterprises" (or, more simply, corporate raiding) and the Decree of the President of Ukraine "On Strengthening the Fight Against Corporate Raiding." But, let us repeat: if the minister is personally in charge…
A year ago, the then-opposition newspaper Censor.net reported on Pidgayny's antics at this enterprise.
How Kyivproekt was robbed and destroyed: "The Supervisory Board dismissed the head of the Kyivproekt Supervisory Board, Mykhailo Manuilenko, and the head of the board, Yaroslav Pidgayny.
On August 31, the Kyiv Shevchenkivskyi District Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the illegal alienation of state property belonging to Kyivproekt, a public joint-stock company. It was established that Kyivproekt officials and the Kyiv regional office of the State Property Fund, using their official positions, colluded to sell a portion of the company's state shares to private individuals at a price half the original price. Criminal proceedings have been initiated under Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code (abuse of power or official position). We have also obtained other materials from the criminal case.
Manuilenko and Pidgayny were appointed to these positions at the suggestion of one of Kyivproekt's shareholders, Mykola Marchenko, the former chairman of the board of Bank Kyiv. As is known, a criminal case was opened against Marchenko in 2009 for the embezzlement of 46 million hryvnias from Bank Kyiv, issuing and issuing fictitious loans, and other crimes. Marchenko spent two years in an SBU pretrial detention center, and the investigation continues as new incidents emerge. Naturally, Marchenko's criminal activities inevitably drew close attention to the activities of the people he appointed at Kyivproekt. The full investigation can be read here, and the journalist also uncovers other corrupt schemes by Mr. Pidgayny and his associates: rent manipulation, when thousands of square meters were rented out for 50-400 hryvnias per square meter (while the actual value was several times higher), the purchase of shares in fake companies, and so on.
But this time, the stakes appear to be higher. The "Hyenas" intend to snatch up an office building with an area of over 20 square meters. Since the price per square meter in this location cannot be less than $5, Petrenko's "Hyenas" have $100 million at stake—and that's a conservative estimate, since no one can say exactly how big Kyivproekt is.
By the way, remember how the renowned journalist and public figure Tetyana Chornovol recently aptly called Yatsenyuk's Chernivtsi clan "hyenas" who don't obey the law?! And here's the passage: the former Ukrainian Government Commissioner for Anti-Corruption Policy, now an advisor to Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, is running for the upcoming parliamentary elections on the People's Front list, alongside Yatsenyuk, Petrenko, and other young reformers and corporate raiders. How does it feel, Tetyana, to run for parliament shoulder to shoulder with "hyenas"? Tetyana, a mandate isn't worth losing your conscience. We suggest you return to journalism, to that same Obozrevatel, where you used to work, and continue exposing the "hyenas."
And the second question – for all of us: perhaps the scope of the Lustration Law should be expanded? So that the ban applies not only to officials from the Yanukovych regime, but also to the entire Yatsenyuk Cabinet! Especially since Minister Petrenko promised to be among the first to undergo a lustration audit. So, we're waiting for his income declaration. And similar documents from Yatsenyuk's other "hyenas."
And finally: vote for the Hyena Front, Petrenko is number 11 on the list.
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