We reported on the fact that former Kyiv Oblast Governor Vira Ulyanchenko had been placed on the wanted list just before Vasyl Hrytsak's appointment as Head of the SBU. "The criteria by which Poroshenko selects people for important positions are fundamentally flawed. It's not a criterion of professionalism, but a criterion of personal loyalty. It's perfectly natural that Vasyl Hrytsak fits this criterion best. He's a long-time acquaintance, safe (according to Poroshenko), and unlikely to dream of the presidential chair. But there's a catch. Hrytsak is essentially a precocious person who made his career largely thanks to the patronage of Yushchenko-era Kyiv Oblast Governor Vira Ivanovna Ulyanchenko. At the time, as a reminder, Hrytsak was the head of the SBU department in the Kyiv Oblast. Hrytsak has a rather disrespectful nickname within the SBU: "Vira's driver." And there's a reason for it. As well as the grounds for questions regarding that period of Vasily Sergeevich’s service.
The problem is that Vera Ulyanchenko is now not only a defendant in a criminal case but also a wanted person. The Prosecutor General's Office suspects her of stealing 350 hectares of quite attractive land in the Kyiv region. Furthermore, she is suspected of transferring the Sukholuchye hunting grounds to Viktor Yanukovych. To quote "Left Bank": "The Prosecutor General's Office has filed charges against those involved in the illegal transfer of the Sukholuchye hunting grounds in the Kyiv region to Viktor Yanukovych.
Among them are Yanukovych himself, the former head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration Vira Ulyanchenko, the director of the Dnieper-Teteriv State Forestry and Hunting Farm Gordiychuk, the assistant to the Prime Minister of Ukraine (2007) Kolomiets, the director of Lesnika House LLC Bulava, the director of Kyivuniversalservis LLC Gulik, and citizen Fainitsky, according to the GPU website.
They are suspected of committing a crime under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine for the illegal seizure of state property on an especially large scale, using official position.
The land in question is a state-owned plot of forest land belonging to the Dnipro-Teteriv Forest and Hunting Estate, located in the Sukholuch village council of the Vyshgorod district of the Kyiv region. The total area of this plot, known as the "Sukholuchye" hunting grounds, is 17,48 hectares and is valued at over 22 million hryvnias.
Let us recall that Vera Ulyanchenko, who was a close associate of Viktor Yushchenko in Our Ukraine, served as head of the Kyiv region from July 2006 to May 2009. Viktor Yanukovych was prime minister in 2006-2007.
Now, news has suddenly spread that the SBU is also allegedly searching for Vera. It's clear that the SBU in this case is merely carrying out the prosecutor's orders. And it's not entirely clear why all this fuss would be going on. Strange theories have been floating around that Vera was targeted for selling her "Zastup" (Spare) network of party organizations to Kolomoisky on the eve of the local elections, which she had once built with funds from another thieving regional governor, Prysyazhnyuk. But, as far as we know, in this case, Vera Ivanovna simply swindled Prysyazhnyuk out of his money and created no such network. And what's the point of pursuing her after she's already sold out this mythical "network"?
The cause of Vera Ulyanchenko's current troubles lies in a different, far more mundane realm. Simply put, it's the land. Stolen land from the Kyiv region, which she's being asked to share in such an unobtrusive manner. And thus, to cover certain debts owed by former SBU Deputy Chairman Artyukhov and current Chairman Gritsak. Debts to the abandoned Azerbaijani criminal diaspora led by thief-in-law Rovshan Dzhaniev. Debts for the land grab in the village of Lisniki and debts for unfulfilled agreements to smuggle food products into the LPR/DPR. It's awkward with the land in Lisniki and with her own guys who have already begun construction, like Malikov, Frolov, and Baranetsky—they made a promise, took the money, and then...
Besides, as the saying goes, "Vasya's dad is good at math" and also demands his share of the top spot. And since there's practically nothing left to sack in the country, they're forced to dispose of those who managed to sack earlier. Vera Ulyanchenko was the first to go, and her SBU comrades were determined to milk her dry. Especially since who better than Gritsak would know all the details of her land deals? After all, he personally provided "operational cover." I think if Vera Ivanovna proves stubborn, she'll be reminded of other scams, including the "Blasco" affair, when a group of comrades, including Vera Ulyanchenko, ruthlessly sold Ukraine's entire Black Sea Fleet.
In short, the trend is clear. When there's nothing left to steal, you have to steal what was stolen first. All the metal is gone, leaving only the land. And today's landowners should think about how to quickly convert this dangerous asset into hard currency and get out of there in time. Because, let's repeat, "Vasya's dad is good at math," and Vasya simply has nowhere to go.
Sergey Nikonov, ORD
Our reference: Ulyanchenko – "Baba Vera": Komsomol member, thief, and the President's "mommy"
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