Ukrainians quickly realized that by voting for the "Servant of the People" party, they had elected yet more corrupt officials to the Verkhovna Rada who had jumped on Zelenskyy's political train. The example of MP Vyacheslav Medyanik shows that these "servants of the people," intoxicated by the fullness of power, are not shy about making decisions and scheming right in the parliamentary chamber. They are deeply offended when caught red-handed by the watchful eyes of journalists, but they are not at all afraid of punishment, knowing that their allies will surely bail them out.
And so it happened. Under pressure from an outraged public, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) opened a criminal case against Medyanik, which promised to be a show trial. But just a few days later, Medyanik was acquitted using a new, signature method of Ukrainian law enforcement: a polygraph test (the so-called "lie detector"). Having become fashionable in Ukraine in 2019, the polygraph successfully exonerated all those suspected of corruption—after all, it seems impossible to argue with a machine, although everyone forgets that the people operating this polygraph are also humans. Thus, Vyacheslav Medyanik received an official verdict of innocence, after which he departed with his associates for Kryvyi Rih, where he was immediately got caught up in a new corruption scandalAnd we can confidently say that this is far from the last time!
New "fixers"
Previously little known outside of Dnepropetrovsk, Vyacheslav Medyanik became “famous” throughout the country due to his WhatsApp correspondence with his fellow countryman, businessman Alexander Yarov, which was captured by journalists from the publication "Strana.ua"The topic of their business conversation was the creation of a new corruption scheme between businessmen and the prosecutor's office, since the old one had collapsed after the resignation of Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko. Therefore, a new one is being created for Ryaboshapka and his deputies, among whom Viktor Trepak was named as Medyanik. The latter, after the scandal was publicized, hastened to declare that he didn't know Medyanik and didn't even know him. However, given that Trepak previously worked in the SBU's Department for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime, where Vyacheslav Medyanik's father and godfather had strong connections, it's possible... SKELET-info suspects he lied. It's crucial for the Prosecutor General's Office to hush up and forget this case as quickly as possible, as it hurts both Trepak and Ryaboshapka.
Vyacheslav Medyanik "solves problems"
This correspondence discussed the Nikolaev shipyard "Ocean," which sugar manufacturer Igor Ignatov is seeking control of—hence the references to "sugar" and "ocean." But two other things are important to note. First, Medyanik's reference to "our law firm." Although he didn't name it specifically, it's safe to assume that this firm is connected to his family business. Furthermore, Vyacheslav Medyanik is a lawyer himself, as is his older sister, Victoria Medyanik (born 1981), who works as a private notary. His associates also include lawyers—for example, Petr Vladimirovich Pak, also directly associated with the Privat group. He is a co-founder of Everest Estate LLC, which was among the "Kolomoisky plaintiffs", who filed lawsuits against Russia at the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague. Pak also worked at Privatbank before its nationalization, while also moonlighting as a manager at Medyanik's firms, Krutogorny LLC (EDRPOU 40864808) and Altera Group (32299327), officially earning mere pennies for this work. At other times, Pak was a director at Medyanik's firms, Atlant (EDRPOU 23931014) and Stoneart (33164932).
It is also known that the Krutogorny company was created in 2016 specifically for the development of a site in Dnepropetrovsk on the site illegally demolished historic building, and the scandalous people's deputy of the 8th convocation was the one who "covered up" this scam Andrey Denisenko, to whom Medyanik himself was then listed as an assistant.
Secondly, it's important to note the level of the schemes Medyanik promises to create – this is a high-level leadership position within the Prosecutor General's Office. Considering that Trepak, who allegedly doesn't know Medyanik, is also a contact at the SBU's Department for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime, his connections and reach are quite extensive. Again, no sooner had one scandal been suppressed than another arose – when Medyanik and a group of "servants of the people" began negotiating cooperation with law enforcement in Kryvyi Rih. In this case, we see that MP Medyanik, who is also a member of the relevant law enforcement committee, is seeking to become the new "fixer" of problems and issues that arise with the Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the SBU. Perhaps he wants to replace the well-known "fixer" from the Poroshenko era. Alexander Granovsky, released after his escape abroad. However, it's impossible to say for sure, because there's a strong suspicion that Vyacheslav Madyanik is... scamming everyone. After all, this is his first time!
Vyacheslav Medyanik looks at photojournalists in the Verkhovna Rada
The Dnipropetrovsk mafia in uniform
But who is Vyacheslav Medyanik? The media calls him a corporate raider and developer, in business since his youth, some kind of evil genius. But in reality, he's just a common rich kid who inherited his father's business and connections, and is more involved in scams than in real business.
Vyacheslav Anatolyevich Medyanik was born on August 3, 1987, in Snezhnoye (Donetsk Oblast), to KGB officer Anatoly Nikolaevich Medyanik. His godfather was his father's friend and colleague, Anatoly Klimenko, whom he met either in the service or at KGB school. According to sources, SKELET-infoIt was Klimenko who “dragged” his friend to Dnepropetrovsk, where he had good connections, got him a lucrative job and helped Medyanik immediately get a spacious apartment (in a building on Lenin Street, now Voskresenskaya).
In the early 1990s, both KGB men became SBU officers, but in 1994, Klymenko left the service and entered government: first, he became deputy mayor of Dnipropetrovsk, then deputy chairman of the regional state administration (overseeing law enforcement agencies). In 2002, he was elected as a people's deputy of the 4th convocation, having changed several factions over four years. Klymenko's "KGB soul" lacks any political principles, so he jumped from one ruling party to another: first to United Ukraine, then to the PPPU. In 2004, Klymenko became Viktor Yanukovych's confidant in electoral district #24. After the Maidan, he defected to the SPU. From 2007 to 2010, he served in Tymoshenko's government as deputy minister of transport and communications under Yosyp Vinsky. In the same way, his godson Vyacheslav Medyanik is running from one promising political force to another, siding with the socialists, the radical “patriots,” and the “servants of the people.”
Anatoly Klimenko
Today, Anatoly Klimenko is known as a "successful agrarian." He owns a dozen companies, including the Yekaterinoslavsky MPC (EDRPOU 33766993), and established a foundation to support equestrian sports. Apparently, the landowner general remembered in his old age that he once studied to be an agronomist (it was at the institute that he became a "secret agent," beginning his career in the KGB).
Under his patronage, Anatoliy Medyanik quickly made a successful career in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Department for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime, heading the department by the late 90s. But here's the irony: the leading anti-corruption fighter was himself a corrupt official and a "werewolf in uniform." It was Anatoliy Medyanik who founded the family business, based on corporate raiding. While he was in uniform, he registered his business (including the shares seized from businessmen) in the name of his wife, Klavdiya Veniaminovna Medyanik, and then in the name of his children. After his death in 2017, his son continued his father's work.
A striking example of the raider activity of Dnipropetrovsk law enforcement officers in general and Anatoly Medyanik in particular was the case LLC "Ukrstar" (EGPOU 20190356)This company was founded in 1993 by Mikhail Sokolsky. A year later, Vladimir Borisovich Zlatopolsky joined its founders, taking 50% of the shares. He is a rather shady character: Zlatopolsky comes from a family of Dnepropetrovsk Jews; in the 90s, he received German citizenship, but continued to "do business" in Ukraine, engaging in highly dubious schemes. Furthermore, Vladimir Zlatopolsky has repeatedly surfaced alongside the notorious "UBOP" member. Pavel Kononenko, known in the criminal world as "Pasha Konon," who organized entire organized crime groups under the auspices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Yes, the same Kononenko whom Yuriy Lutsenko later appointed Deputy Prosecutor of Kyiv! But back then, in 1994, Kononenko was just beginning his career: the young deputy head of the Krasnogvardeisky District Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs created a racketeering gang of athletes and, through his former colleagues from the Economic Crimes Department, smuggled contraband cigarettes. Apparently, it was also around this time that he began planting his people in the companies of the entrepreneurs he had intimidated.
And then, in 1997, Sokolsky's stake suddenly shrank to 30%, while Zlatopolsky's grew to 60%. A third founder, Alexander Grigorievich Svergun, who was known in Dnipropetrovsk as the director of several enterprises controlled by the corrupt mafia, joined Ukrstar with the remaining 10%. Five years later, Sokolsky was completely ousted from Ukrstar: Svergun became the company's director, and Sokolovsky's stake was reduced to 20%. Instead, a new founder, Anatoly Medyanik, emerged, receiving 35% completely free of charge, without having contributed anything to the company's authorized capital. Soon after, Medyanik, Zlatopolsky, and Svergun completely expelled Sokolsky from the company's founders. This was so blatantly illegal that Sokolsky began defending his rights in court and even won. However, while the litigation was ongoing, Medyanik, Zlatopolsky, and Svergun transferred a significant portion of Ukrstar's capital to K.A.S. LTD LLC (EDRPOU 33855543), including a development site at 13 Shmidta Street. And from that moment on, another scam involving Anatoly Medyanik began: a rip-off of Azerbaijani citizens who were co-founders of K.A.S. LTD, who were promised the Azeri residential and office complex would be built on the site. The sum involved was $80 million.
