Poroshenko's godfather, at the head of the Prosecutor General's Office, is doing the same as his predecessors: purging undesirable personnel and attempting to restore "systemic" principles to the prosecutor's office. A system is when appointed "insiders" are used to build the smooth-running chain of command for which the godfather of the former Guarantor of the Constitution was renowned. Shokin does indeed resemble Pshonka not only in appearance; his methods are identical, although such a comparison will certainly not please the "revolutionary public." Unfortunately, they remain preoccupied with details (the Yefremov case, Chechetov's suicide, the search of the District Administrative Court, the Pechersk Court, and the Kyiv State Traffic Inspectorate) and stubbornly refuse to see the bigger picture of what's happening within the Prosecutor General's Office. Meanwhile, the purge of the central apparatus continues, and a wind of change is blowing through the regions: four regional prosecutors have already been dismissed, one has received a temporary reprieve and an indulgence, and four more are stuck in limbo.
... The first meeting with Shokin on February 13th revealed the full depth of the tragicomedy farce in which the oversight agency and the Ukrainian government as a whole found themselves. A participant recounts: "The regional prosecutors had gathered to report and get acquainted, and the crowd was jam-packed... Those who had already managed to bring in a new batch of compensation merely smirked, observing the quiet discontent expressed by the prosecutors, who had previously paid Yarema money for peace and now only realized they had been 'cheated again'... The place hummed like a swarm of bees, with bass voices from members of parliament of all stripes, seeking a meeting with the Prosecutor General." It was a banal gathering a la the early 90s, only within the walls of a government agency, a "fixer." But the public was presented with a completely different picture: the third post-Maidan Prosecutor General is finally cracking down on corruption and lawlessness, clamping down on his errant subordinates, and, at the same time, thoroughly investigating the incidents involving Euromaidan protesters that occurred a year ago. The media's careful presentation of the information, spiced up with two arrests of former Party of Regions members and the payment of social media "opinion leaders," have done their job—the phrase "Shokin is ours" has firmly lodged itself in the public's minds. Petro Poroshenko should be pleased with this turn of events, and the Prosecutor General, enjoying popular support and heeding the wishes of those "petitioners," has begun to act. Let's consider the situation in the regions.
"Freshly Resigned"
Donetsk Oblast. Nikolai Frantovsky
The Donetsk lawmaker's resignation had been in the works for over four months by his opponents (hence the lustration efforts of the "civic activists" who fled Donetsk for Mariupol and Kyiv). The reason for his fall from grace was that Frantovskyi failed to find common ground with regional governor Oleksandr Kikhtenko. The reason was control over the smuggling of raw materials exported from the region, as well as squabbles with other stakeholders in the operation of "tax pits." It was Kikhtenko, along with a vote-buyer from Horlivka residents, who had been involved in the 2012 elections. Artur Gerasimov Today, they are the president's "overseers" over Donbas. The headstrong prosecutor didn't sit well with the new masters of the land, which is why he was subjected to widespread obstruction. After weighing the pros and cons, Frantovsky resigned. According to sources at Prosecutor's Truth, the first deputy regional prosecutor proved more accommodating, and therefore, Oleksandr Livochka is expected to be appointed to his new position in the coming days.
Volyn Oblast. Vadim Maksimov
Selling regional prosecutor positions to "outsiders" is a trend of the Yarema era. The former Prosecutor General traded this opportunity wholesale and retail, for example, by "gifting" (not for free) the Volyn region to a prosecutor from "his district." To Maksimov's credit, the former prosecutor of Kyiv's Darnytskyi district managed the "tax collection" efficiently, but the rest, unsurprisingly, fell through. The issue of the regional prosecutor's removal was pushed through Kyiv; those initiating Maksimov's removal donated cash to "honest journalists," who aired a report on the dubious origins of the crime boss's family's wealth. The necessary negative backdrop was augmented by a meeting of paid "activists" just in time for the anniversary of the local Euromaidan events, but Maksimov hoped to hold on for another month. He failed, but orders arrived from the capital, and he resigned.
Mykolaiv Oblast. Vladimir Komashko
From the moment of his appointment, the former Pshonka staffer walked a tightrope. Surprisingly, he managed to maintain this balance almost until the end of February 2015—that's what "prosecutor school" and the ability to share effectively with superiors mean! Prosecutor's Truth is confident that Komashko's era in Mykolaiv must be remembered in the annals of the criminal justice system. Amidst open confrontation with local elites (including regional MPs), caught falsifying his biography and concealing his former "military glory," the lawmaker continued his work. And our hero even leaves with his head held high: to an equally lucrative position in the Main Directorate. Incidentally, we recommend that die-hard fans of lustration appreciate the beauty of the game: Komashko is subject to dismissal under the adopted law "On the Purification of Power," but has already been appointed to the Prosecutor General's Office, where this purge has already been carried out! And the lustration in the Mykolaiv regional prosecutor's office, previously entrusted to him, is only just beginning... Komashko is taking his people to Kyiv, and Igor Skazko is in charge in the region.
Zhytomyr Oblast. Dmitry Lubchuk
Oleh Makhnitsky's protégé had been "selling" to both Yarema and Shokin, but his arguments, in their so-called "green" equivalent, proved insufficient at this point. The "gray" and unassuming figure of the regional prosecutor failed the new "citizen boss's" audition and is leaving. As with the Mykolaiv region, Lubchuk tucks in his tail (in the form of Mykola Shakhrai) and heads off to Lviv to enjoy life. We recommend considering how the "lustrators" in Shokin's payroll "rejoiced" at Lubchuk's resignation: they presented his voluntary resignation (as well as the dismissal of Maksimov and Kyiv's Pechersk Prosecutor Roman Voloshin) as their own achievement! Blessed are those who believe...
Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Alexander Shatsky
Before Vitaliy Yarema's departure, the revolutionary prosecutor-turned-misunderstanding of Zaporizhia received a black mark from him. But the "old horse" decided not to bribe the "honest cop" and instead waited for a change in the situation. And so it happened: today the region has a new governor, and the president himself granted Shatsky an indulgence, announcing during his visit to the region that he saw no need to replace the region's security forces. The appointment of a new overseer to replace the absconding Yevgeny Anisimov went unnoticed, although that's not important: his name will soon be known.
We congratulate the warrior Shatsky, who's been itching to get to the front for months now (only Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Prosecutor Ihor Nastasyak has distinguished himself with a more powerful stream of consciousness in this area) on his skillful distribution of black cash, and we wish him continued sham activity. We can only sympathize with the honest regional prosecutors... And now we move on to the candidates for elimination.
Contenders of disgrace
Odessa region. Andrey Priz
The Odesa regional prosecutor is hardly to be envied: in just one month, he's been under intense pressure due to the employment of Viktor Shokin's "non-daughter" in his department, as well as a local mafia struggle for influence. And then there's Nikolai Stoyanov, ousted by Yarema, who can't seem to forget the $2,5 million he shelled out for his appointment a year in advance, only to end up in office for two months... Even "Governor Kolomoisky" Igor Palitsa He doesn't feel safe... All of Priz's dealings came to mind, the odious Klyantsko, the smuggling and other unsavory excesses that fill the "prize coffers"... Despite this, as well as the occasional attacks by revolutionary scumbags like Gordienko and company, Priz's stock remains just as high. Even despite Shokin's public attacks...
Kyiv. Sergey Yuldashev
Readers of "Prokurorskaya Pravda" have long known that there's no way to put a cross on the thief Gerasimyuk's accomplice, the transient bird of fortune and greedy thief Sergei Yuldashev. To imitate the "pack of lustrators" who received the order, who yesterday sent out their "investigations" based on what our resource previously reported, somehow forgets about this "outstanding" lawman, but oh well... The current situation is as follows: Prosecutor Yuldashev will undergo a lustration check by March 21st, and his transfer to the Main Directorate is currently being prepared precisely for that date. Along with his press secretary, Alena Yakhno—how can you leave the "stupefied" public alone with her epic Facebook comments along the lines of "the search was successful, they found everything they were looking for" and acquittal of forgery. It was Yuldashev's actions that inspired us to compile a "price list" of typical prosecutorial actions, which we invite you to review:
Kherson Oblast. Volodymyr Podubinsky
Prosecutor Podubinsky, following the example of his Donetsk colleague, has entered into a feud with regional governor Andriy Putilov. Everything else is superficial... As soon as the confrontation entered its active phase, Podubinsky's lapdogs, sicced on by Putilov, began to put spokes in his wheels, and he keeps refusing to backtrack. Particularly encouraging among Podubinsky's accusers is the money-changer MP Khlan. The naive and silly Podubinsky holds press conferences, when it's time to hand over $2 million to Kyiv and sit quietly in his seat.
Rivne Oblast. Serhiy Kubrak
Another apologist for the Yarema-era regional prosecutor's office, caught in the crossfire today. In the absence of active and popular city lunatics, the capital's Automaidan was hired to bring down Kubrak for 50 dead raccoons. A crazed prosecutor who can't even properly fill out a tax return is hardly a guarantor of law enforcement in the region, but who is being brought in to replace him? And most importantly, for how much?
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