We've all witnessed the most fascinating spectacle of profiteering since the post-Yanukovych era—namely, the battle between Kolomoisky and other oligarchs over a valuable asset, Ukrnafta. For a decade now, this mine has been generating fabulous profits for the Privat Group from the sale of Ukrainian oil, the production cost of which is much lower than imported Russian oil, and the yield of light fractions (kerosene, gasoline, diesel) is significantly higher. The same applies to Ukrainian-produced gas, the cost of which is several times lower than imported gas, which could be a significant boon for ordinary citizens if it were sold to them. But the profits, once again, go into Mr. Kolomoisky's pocket.
But is he the only one who's been siphoning off Ukrainian citizens' money thanks to the fraudulent activities of Ukrnafta's management? As we can see, the young people's representative, Vitaly Khomutynnik, a well-known swindler in the state's fiscal affairs, also had trouble sleeping last night. Instead of dreaming sweet dreams of stolen millions, the public servant, accompanied by a group of unidentified armed men (allegedly his personal security detail), arrived at Ukrtransnafta, apparently to protect those very same millions, and held the siege until Benya arrived.
According to Kolomoisky, his protégé Lazorko, barricaded in his office, "...guarded Ukrainian state property to ensure it wouldn't disappear... we're talking about 600 million tons of oil." The oligarch didn't specify whether this figure included the industrial oil stolen from the pipeline. Nor did he specify Mr. Khomutynnik's share of it, having worked with him all night to "manipulate documents."
Be that as it may, the aforementioned oligarchs appear to be losing the Ukrgazvydobuvannya situation, as evidenced by the takeover of the office by Arsen Avakov's subordinates. And apparently, this mess will have to be cleaned up by the Prime Minister himself, as the commotion is brewing in his parish.
However, Igor Valerievich has a strong backup here—more like a heavy artillery—in the form of his business partner. The applause hasn't died down yet, as Khomutynnik delivered a beautiful performance, perfectly planned, orchestrated, and executed within another Cabinet structure—the State Fiscal Service.
Having gotten into trouble with a scam involving Kolomoisky's protégé, Odessa Region Governor Ihor Palytsia, in a joint nut smuggling and export business worth several hundred thousand dollars, Khomutynnik managed not only to shift the blame to the unsound entity but also to direct the Prime Minister's righteous anger toward his enemies – State Fiscal Service deputies Volodymyr Khomenko and Anatoliy Makarenko.
As a reminder, the Prime Minister ordered the creation of a commission and an internal investigation into the Fiscal Service following a conflict that began with photos from Khomutynnik's cell phone of his text messages with Palytsia, in which the latter effectively levied a claim for non-payment of his share of nut exports. The MP not only managed to get away with it in front of Palytsia by shifting the blame to customs, but also secretly oversaw the investigation itself.
Khomutynnik's accomplice, Roman Nasirov, MP from the BPP, who chairs the committee on tax and customs policy, compiled the list of commission members and appointed him its head. Nasirov had previously "accumulated" over 40 million hryvnias in debt to creditors through outsourcing and now enthusiastically takes on any dirty work, as long as it brings in profit. And here, he served Khomutynnik 100%, both in selecting the commission from his trusted individuals and in selecting the questions and materials it "studied," sometimes twisting the facts, but achieving the desired results for his patron.
It shouldn't be surprising that Nasirov's commission, having "properly" examined these "materials," led the Prime Minister to a single "correct" decision: dismiss Khomenko and Makarenko from their positions, while retaining their boss, Igor Bilous. Mr. Khomenko is accused of some kind of illegal vodka, and Makarenko of some kind of smuggling. Incidentally, Bilous and Nasirov recently served as co-directors of the financial institution Renaissance Capital. To maintain control of the State Fiscal Service during the investigation, Maksim Moklyak, a fellow countryman and godfather of Bilous who previously had no prior public service experience, was appointed acting director.
So, having "fucked" the Prime Minister once, the sleep-deprived Khomutynnik has actively engaged in a new game on the energy field. We're waiting for a new internal investigation "in the realm of legal decisions." Will Khomut screw the Prime Minister again, or will he even the score to 1-1?
Let's go get some popcorn and Pepsi-Cola.
Sergey Nikonov, ORD
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