Valery Karpuntsov
Only a few months have passed since the appointment of Yuriy Lutsenko as Prosecutor General (Read more about it in the article Yuriy Lutsenko. The "Terminator" of Ukrainian Politics), and the department entrusted to him is already, as they say, in full swing. And although from the outside, no particular fluctuations in the "prosecutor's sea" are visible, real passions are raging beneath the surface. And for some prosecutors, even tragedies, reports ANTICOR.
The reason is quite obvious: having received the President's mandate for systemic reform of the Prosecutor General's Office, Yuriy Lutsenko has taken the matter seriously. "Every vacancy will be filled by professionals who have passed the tests... From below, I want to fill the Prosecutor's Office with lawyers who have never worked in the Prosecutor's Office," Yuriy Vitalyevich stated at a recent press conference, adding that he sees the cleansing of the Prosecutor's Office as one of his top priorities.
And it is clear that such a cleansing is a very unpleasant process for the old guard, which is trying in every way (and so far unsuccessfully) to show the new Prosecutor General that it has instantly become honest and pure as spring water.
Therefore, a real struggle is currently underway in the Prosecutor General's Office between the new team and those already implicated in corruption schemes. While Yuriy Lutsenko cleared out the top brass of the Prosecutor General's Office almost immediately, the middle management is clinging on by the skin of its teeth to maintain their ability to "resolve issues."
Comrade in the "sawing up"
One such figure is Valeriy Karpuntsov. Most recently, he served as Senior Assistant to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine for Special Assignments and is now a Member of Parliament (he was elected to the Rada on party lists after the latest Cabinet reform).
He's a completely ordinary and uninteresting figure: a typical provincial careerist who found himself in lucrative positions by chance. He first worked in the legal department of Our Ukraine, then became a Kyiv City Council member for Klitschko's party, later helped Vladyslav Kaskiv "saw off budgets" at the State Investment Agency (a criminal case for embezzlement of 230 million rubles was only closed after the Maidan), and finally, in 2012, rose to the rank of people's deputy through the quota of the same UDAR party.
As a member of parliament, however, he didn't make a particularly memorable mark – he spoke like everyone else, and voted like everyone else. So it's no surprise that in the 2014 elections, he ended up in 77th place on the BPP list and failed to get into the Rada. The situation was further exacerbated by a conflict with Vitali Klitschko, who learned that, despite his pseudo-opposition, Karpuntsov had leaked information about his boss to the Party of Regions during Yanukovych's presidency and even helped the Party of Regions take down Klitschko.Read more about it in the article Vitali Klitschko: The Dark Past of the "Looking Tomorrow") for having German and American documents.
Senior Assistant for Particularly Important Assignments
So Karpuntsov was left out of work and forced to seek a new patron. Of course, with such a remarkable track record, this was quite difficult, but there was an institution where Karpuntsov's "principledness and honesty" came in handy: Prosecutor General Vitaly Yarema (Read more about it in the article Vitaly Yarema, "Honest Cop" and Sergei Dumchev's godfather) took Valera on as his assistant. And not just like that, but as his senior assistant for special assignments!
Judging by Yarema's performance, Karpuntsov wasn't much of a help. Although, by and large, Valera had other goals—to make the most of his obscure position to protect businesses, engage in corruption schemes, and "fix things." In short, he followed all the precepts of Ilyich, or rather, Viktor Fyodorovich.
The case was certainly lucrative, but dangerous. And it's no surprise that Karpuntsov decided to... insure his life for 636 hryvnias, which aroused further interest among journalists. First, it raised the question of why so little (though those familiar with Valery's frugality aren't surprised)? Second, it raised additional questions regarding the "modest" car fleet of this mere prosecutor's assistant: a Honda CRV, a Mazda CX-9, and an Audi Q7. It would seem—well, so what if the man loves cars? Nothing, except that Karpuntsov's declaration doesn't mention any money for a car—he didn't earn any money. After all, since 2009, he's worked exclusively in government service.
Karpuntsov himself, by the way, took offense at the journalists at the time, publicly calling them scum for daring to inquire about the finances of such a man, and then continued to "make a buck."
Public whistleblower
In exchange for the opportunity to "solve problems," Karpuntsov was forced to assume the role of a lackey, carrying out any orders from above. He, in particular, became one of the prosecutor's office's talking heads. Or rather, his duties included not so much talking as publicly "killing" the right people on orders from outside.
The job, while certainly not tiring, is, as they say, a real drag for many professionals. Karpuntsov, however, wasn't particularly concerned. Especially since, as a bonus, he was promised a lucrative position as head of the Main Directorate for Representation and Organization of Participation in Criminal Court Support.
But, as we know, it takes three years to get what’s promised – Viktor Shokin has taken Yarema’s place (Read more about it in the article Viktor Shokin. The Prosecutor "On Vacation"), and Karpuntsov never received a promotion (although he even tried to beg for the position of Deputy Prosecutor General).
But Valera continued to attend press conferences and denounce everyone indiscriminately, from Korban to Sakvarelizi. He was particularly skeptical of the latter, incidentally, reasonably suspecting that the Georgian team could quickly cut him off.
Interestingly, Karpuntsov's ambitions extend beyond the position of chief assistant for "fetch and serve" matters. Therefore, when the question of appointing a new Prosecutor General arose, the name that surfaced among other candidates was... Karpuntsov himself!
Of course, no one took him seriously, but Valery truly had Napoleonic plans (self-hypnosis is a powerful force). However, his actions were limited to calling journalist friends asking them to leak the necessary information, after which he began spending hours in the reception rooms of high-ranking officials.
But, unlike Pronya Prokopovna, who "sat, sat, and sat," Valeriy didn't sit for anything—the country was lucky, he wasn't appointed Prosecutor General. This deeply offended Karpuntsev. His inordinate ambitions grew so large that when he was offered the position of Presidential Representative in Parliament, Valeriy demonstratively refused. Ultimately, another deputy from the BPP was appointed to the position.Artur Gerasimov).
The emotions subsided, and Karpuntsov realized his recklessness. And today, he's trying his best to convince the country's leadership that he was misunderstood and that he remains committed, as before, to working for the good of the state and the prosecutor's office. However, in his own unique way.
Small, but fits two chairs at once
Even in an interview with Glavkom, he subtly hints that he's prepared to sit on both chairs—as a deputy and as a prosecutor (the style has been preserved, ed.): "I didn't really leave the prosecutor's office. I was sent to the Verkhovna Rada to exercise my parliamentary powers. The Labor Code stipulates that a person is sent to an elected position. And the law "On the Prosecutor's Office" and the law "On the Status of a People's Deputy" also stipulate that a person working in law enforcement agencies is sent on leave for the period their elected powers take effect. It turns out that a position in the prosecutor's office comprises two components—that of a prosecutor and an administrative position. That is, my administrative position has been suspended, but I remain in service as a prosecutor. The law allows for this."
To play it safe, and at the same time reinforce the importance and "elevation" of his figure, Karpuntsov couldn't think of anything more interesting than to secure himself an officer's rank. He didn't waste time on trifles. If he was going to have a good time, he'd do it with music. The epaulettes of a full-fledged prosecutor general rested on Karpuntsov's powerful shoulders on Independence Day.
Will Yuriy Lutsenko retain this Gogol-esque character in the Prosecutor General's Office? Based on common sense and the need to purge the structure, it's unlikely. After all, Valery Karpuntsov doesn't fit into the updated prosecutorial system. Moreover, as someone who held leadership positions under the Yanukovych regime, Karpuntsov is subject to lustration and simply has no right to work in the prosecutor's office or gain any leverage within it.
The Kaskiv Case
Furthermore, Karpuntsov's past could also surface in the testimony of his fellow earner, Kaskiv. Kaskiv's extradition from Panama is, as is well known, highly anticipated in Ukraine. After all, then the former head of Gosinvestproekt will be forced to reveal who else besides himself was involved in the embezzlement of 7,5 million hryvnias of state funds. Even if Karpuntsov manages to get away with it, he clearly won't be able to hold on to the Prosecutor General's Office.
And so "officer" Valery has only one thing left: to sit alone in the evenings by the fireplace of his country house and gaze at his favorite "Pshonka-style" portrait: full-length, in a general's uniform. Because nothing more should tie him to the prosecutor's office. The time for "fixers with stripes" is over.
Vitaly Nezhinsky
ON THIS TOPIC:
Yuriy Lutsenko. The "Terminator" of Ukrainian Politics
Vitali Klitschko: The Dark Past of the "Looking Tomorrow"
Vitaly Yarema, "Honest Cop" and Sergei Dumchev's godfather
Viktor Shokin. The Prosecutor "On Vacation"
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