While Vasyl Gritsak tells UN representatives that he didn't allow their representatives into the SBU offices in Kramatorsk because no separatists are being detained there, the topic of the amber mayhem in Vasyl Gritsak's homeland has strangely faded away. Moreover, a number of articles have disappeared from the internet, revealing that the amber business was protected at the very top by Gritsak's favorite, Pavlo Demchyna, the current de facto head of the SBU's Main Directorate "K." They decided to resolve the issue, just as they did with Filimonov? Not a fact, not a fact. Let's recall this topic.
"Amber Front." When the mafia is led by an SBU officer, the mafia is immortal.
The $75,000-a-day "amber" mafia of the Rivne region has been exposed. Its leader is Oleh Nazaruk, former deputy head of the regional SBU department and head of the "K" department. Its "roof" is Pavlo Demchyna from the SBU's "K" department and Shokin's deputy, Pavlo Zalisko. (He was deputy to Yarema, Shokin, and now to Lutsenko. He's probably immortal.)
The "amber" mafia, established within the top leadership of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and successfully evading criminal prosecution and arrest for two months, has been exposed. Censor.NET reveals details of this highly scandalous criminal case for the first time. This case will become one of Ukraine's largest corruption scandals when the perpetrators are brought to justice. But bringing them to court requires a powerful public outcry.
The Security Service of Ukraine has identified the leadership of a criminal group that is protecting illegal amber mining in the region and has connections and contacts in the SBU, the Prosecutor General's Office, the National Police, and the courts. But even more scandalous is the Prosecutor General's Office's attempt to block the investigation and allow the criminals to evade justice by using the Rivne Oblast judicial system.
On December 23, 2015, officers from the Main Investigative Department of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and a team of operatives from Kyiv conducted a search of the house in Rivne belonging to Oleh Nazaruk, the former deputy head of the regional SBU office and head of the "K" anti-corruption unit. Following the search, Nazaruk was served with a notice of suspicion under Articles 364 (abuse of office) and 369 (receiving an unlawful benefit)—basically, bribery.
The search was prompted by materials from an operational investigation into Nazaruk, carried out by the SBU's internal security unit. According to rumors, which have not been officially confirmed, Nazaruk himself allegedly talks about dividing up illegal corruption profits, claiming that the amber mafia's income, which flows to him, amounts to $75 in cash per day!
Oleg Vasilievich Nazaruk, deputy head of the SBU for the Rivne region and head of the SBU's Department "K" for combating corruption, is the ringleader of the amber mafia in the region. SBU investigators charged him with bribery, but he has remained at large for two months. With the help of the courts and the Prosecutor General's Office, he has successfully evaded responsibility. Rivne regional courts have prohibited investigators from bringing charges against the corrupt official.
The Nazaruk case is becoming as significant as the case of the "diamond" prosecutors, but so far the public knows nothing about it.
As is well known, illegal amber mining in the Rivne and Zhytomyr regions is one of the most open and demonstrative corruption schemes in the country. The budget suffers losses, while well-organized gangs of illegal miners extract and sell amber on an industrial scale. This is undoubtedly possible only thanks to corrupt connections in local law enforcement agencies, which enjoy support from the highest levels of Kyiv government.
Since 2014, journalists have named Oleg Nazaruk as the organizer of the scheme to protect the illegal amber industry.
He's a career SBU officer who has long since earned a reputation for utter corruption. Nazaruk's connections and high position give him confidence in his impunity.
Firstly, Nazaruk is subject to lustration – he is included in the official lustration list of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.
He held high-ranking positions under Yanukovych, and therefore is banned from holding any government positions for 10 years. However, high-level patronage and corrupt connections allow him to continue to illegally hold positions in the security services. The SBU is not complying with the lustration law.
Secondly, Nazaruk is the son-in-law of Anatoliy Yukhimenko, former deputy head of the Rivne regional state administration during the Yanukovych era. Yukhimenko is a member of the Party of Regions and ran for the regional council on the Opposition Bloc list.
Thirdly, Nazaruk is closely associated with the first deputy head of the SBU's Main Directorate "K," Pavlo Demchina. Demchina is now effectively the chief fixer in Main Directorate "K," as the current head of "K," Trepak, was "sent on leave" after he took responsibility for the arrest of the "diamond" prosecutors—friends of Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin.
Trepak wasn't fired because his boss, SBU Chairman Vasyl Hrytsak, interceded on his behalf. But Trepak has effectively been suspended. The prosecutors have now won in Chief Directorate "K." Along with Demchina, General Pisny, who survived Parasyuk's assassination, and Kovalenko, who protects the smuggling operation, have also built their own corrupt verticals of influence.
Demchina has excellent relations with the prosecutor's office. He is the godfather of Deputy Prosecutor General Oleh Zalisko.
Nazaruk's group used all its levers of influence to exonerate its leader from taking a bribe.
On January 11, 2016, Rivne City Court Investigative Judge Kristina Orekhovskaya issued an unprecedented ruling: "To overturn the investigator's decision to issue a notice of suspicion to Oleg Vasilyevich Nazaruk under Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. To oblige the investigator or procedural prosecutor to take action to remove from the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations (USPR) the records of criminal proceedings No.... regarding the issuance of a notice of suspicion on December 17, 2015 against Oleg Vasilyevich Nazaruk."
The decision of the investigating judge is final and cannot be appealed."
Phenomenal. The judge forbids bringing charges against a bribe-taker! Bans the investigator from performing his official duties! And orders all traces of procedural decisions to be concealed from the unified register of court decisions! What a "roof"—"in the name of Ukraine!" The judicial system has once again demonstrated its complete immorality and lawlessness. How much of the "amber" cash distribution scheme went to Rivne judges and Kristina personally? Apparently, quite a bit. The Rivne Oblast Prosecutor's Office appealed the judge's illegal decision to the Rivne Oblast Court of Appeals.
However, on January 25, a panel of judges of the Court of Appeal consisting of Gladkiy S.V., Ostapchuk V.I., Shpinta M.D. upheld Orekhovskaya’s illegal decision!
Legal impasse.
Here link on the text of the decision in the case.
As you can see, Nazaruk's name was indeed removed from the registry (a print screen remains), but the text of Orekhovskaya's decision is still there in all its glory.
The original text of the court decision from the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations (ERDR) lists Nazaruk's first and last name. After the court's decision, his name was removed from the ERDR.
And here it is текст appeals.
The "amber mafia" undoubtedly includes all judges who made unlawful decisions. They, too, must be held accountable. They are unworthy of the right to wear the judicial robes.
A high-profile corruption scandal has come to the attention of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine. And NABU has requested the case for its own investigation. According to the law, NABU can take over any corruption case for investigation if it involves officials of the first or second categories, and the Nazaruk case falls within their jurisdiction. But…
Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin requested Nazaruk's case for his personal review. And now, for a month, he has failed to comply with NABU's legal demand to transfer the case. Although transferring the case isn't his choice; it's the Prosecutor General's Office's responsibility. Clearly, the "prosecutors" haven't read the NABU law and are in no hurry to bring the criminal to justice. And the sense of impunity has driven them completely mad.
And the amber mafioso Nazaruk hasn't been fired from the SBU—he's been placed "at the disposal of the SBU," remains on active duty, receives a salary, a pension, and is entitled to benefits. And neither a bribe nor lustration will suffice for those who are supposed to expel him from public service and prosecute him. Perhaps the people, as always, will be able to impart the necessary speed and direction to this corrupt official?
It seems to us that the "amber eggs" will keep Gritsak out of big politics. And perhaps even the post of head of the Presidential Administration. Why would an American need another mafioso in Ukraine's top leadership? The strange silence about the Filimonov case—one would assume—is part of the same story. Maybe they'll forget. And if anything happens, we'll place Filimonov under the witness protection program as an "active collaborator" with the investigation. They won't forget.
Sergey Nikonov, ORD
On topic:
How the former deputy head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in the Rivne region created an amber mafia in the region.
Recently, the online publication "Censor.net" published information exposing high-ranking law enforcement officials protecting illegal amber mining in the Rivne region. As a reminder, the authorities have been unable to resolve the amber issue. Ukraine could become a world leader in amber mining, as it boasts the richest deposits of this valuable mineral. Currently, approximately 150 tons of amber are mined in Ukraine annually. Only five percent is legal. The rest goes to illegal miners and their "protectors."
So whose pockets are the enormous profits from amber mining ending up in? It's clear that illegally mining amber on an industrial scale would be impossible without a powerful "protector." Last week, renowned journalist and civil activist Yuriy Butusov announced the exposure of an amber mafia led by Oleh Nazaruk, former deputy head of the Rivne regional office of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), who until recently served as head of the anti-corruption department. Nazaruk disappeared from public view last December, immediately after officers from the Main Investigative Department of the SBU and Kyiv operatives searched his home. Apparently, the evidence found was sufficient: following the search, Nazaruk was charged with abuse of office and receiving improper benefits.
"The search of Nazaruk's home was prompted by materials from an operational investigation conducted by the SBU's internal security unit," Yuriy Butusov told FAKTY. "According to unconfirmed reports, Nazaruk himself allegedly spoke about dividing up illegal corruption proceeds and claimed that the amber mafia's proceeds flowing to him amounted to $75 in cash per day!"
However, the criminal investigation, which could have turned into the largest corruption scandal in Ukraine, was immediately "frozen" by Rivne judges. These judges forbade the investigator from bringing charges against Nazaruk! The unprecedented ruling was first made by the Rivne City Court, and later upheld by a panel of judges of the Rivne Regional Court of Appeal. The court also ordered that information about the criminal proceedings against Nazaruk be removed from the unified register of pre-trial investigations, which was done.
According to Yuri Butusov, the judges who issued unlawful rulings are also part of the amber mafia. Furthermore, Nazaruk is protected by family and friendship ties with high-ranking officials and law enforcement officers.
"Oleg Nazaruk is the son-in-law of Anatoliy Yukhimenko, the former deputy head of the Rivne Regional State Administration, who held the post under Yanukovych," explains Yuriy Butusov. "Nazaruk is also friendly with Pavlo Demchyna, the first deputy head of the SBU's anti-corruption department, who is effectively the chief fixer in the "K" department. Demchyna also has excellent relations with the prosecutor's office. After all, he is the godfather of Oleh Zalisko, the Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine.
FAKTY contacted the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) for comment on the current situation and to answer a number of questions, including: how do they plan to combat high-ranking corrupt SBU officers? However, the agency declined to comment, stating only that "the SBU is working to identify potential abuses among employees of both the central office and regional agencies."
Meanwhile, FAKTY has discovered that the investigation into Oleg Nazaruk was initiated by Ukrainian MP Yevhen Deidey. He is a Maidan activist, an ATO participant, and now the coordinator of the Kyiv-1 special battalion. For a year, he has been gathering evidence of Nazaruk's involvement in shady amber mining schemes and has successfully secured the involvement of law enforcement agencies.
Oleg Nazaruk
"After the fall of Yanukovych's 'amber empire,' power passed into the hands of Oleh Nazaruk," says Yevhen Deydey. "Photo, video, and audio materials collected by my assistants show that not a single motor pump is installed in the region without Nazaruk's knowledge. He protects the illegal amber industry not only in the Rivne region, but also in the Zhytomyr and Volyn regions."
It all began in the spring of 2015, when I received a written petition signed by five thousand residents of the Rivne region. People complained that Oleh Nazaruk was establishing a corrupt scheme in the region and demanding tribute for illegal amber mining. To investigate the situation, I traveled to the Rivne region with my assistants. We spoke with prospectors of all levels—from the humble digger to the foreman of a team—and everyone pleaded: "Speed up the legalization of the extraction of the 'sun stone.'" People are exhausted by the lawlessness of the local amber mafia, and they are not allowed to work legally. (The Verkhovna Rada has still not passed the Law on Amber Extraction and Sale. —Author.)
I witnessed with my own eyes the poverty of the local villagers and understood why they fought so desperately for the right to mine amber. Incidentally, Nazaruk's men (district police chiefs, prosecutors, and mid-level SBU officers) control not only the region's amber production but also the seasonal blueberry harvest. Nazaruk's mafia has spread its tentacles literally everywhere. As deputy head of the Rivne regional SBU department, Nazaruk had acquired the necessary connections. And when, after the flight of Yanukovych and his team, there was no one left to oversee the amber business in the region, crime bosses from several western regions of Ukraine delegated Nazaruk to the role of "administrator." He quickly installed his men as heads of district police departments (specifically, in the Sarny, Dubrovytsky, Volodymyretsky, and Zarichany districts of the Rivne region).
— How did Nazaruk's henchmen force the prospectors to pay them tribute?
Security forces would arrive at the amber mining sites and block the diggers' work. Then they'd send in one or two teams of fellow prospectors, who would begin to ostentatiously pan for the valuable mineral. After this, the local foremen would seek out contacts with Nazaruk's people and negotiate with them to purchase a "ticket." What is a "ticket"? A kind of permit for amber mining, which included payments to the police, the SBU, the prosecutor's office, and the district state administration.
Nazaruk's mafia also includes local bandits. They stationed their "overseers" at all the amber mining sites. In one instance, a team of "diggers" asked for a few days' work for free, promising to pay tribute after selling the amber. Instead of complying, Nazaruk sent a group of bandits, who beat up the "diggers" and burned their equipment. After that, no one ever asked to work for free.
The miners pay not only for the opportunity to work in peace but also for water. To extract amber using a motor pump, access to water is required. Incidentally, a motor pump consumes 40 liters of water per second. Nazaruk's men drove excavators to the reservoirs and dug ditches, connecting them to the sites. So, willingly or unwillingly, the miners have to pay for the right to "connect" to the ditch.
"They say Nazaruk makes $75 daily in profits from controlling the illegal amber industry. How realistic is this figure?"
Let's do the math together. The cost of a "ticket" for one motor pump ranges from $200 to $800 per day (more precisely, for 10 working hours) plus 600 hryvnia for water use. Every morning, a person with a notebook arrives at the sites, records the names of each prospector who has come to work, and collects the bribe. Currently, there are approximately 1,500 motor pumps in the Rivne region. If they were all operational and the "ticket" cost averaged out to $700, that would be over a million dollars per day. Sometimes, only a few pumps are operational, in which case the total cost could be a "modest" $75,000 per day. But that's in areas where amber is scarce. Where rich deposits were discovered, the daily fee for a single motor pump was $10,000. Thus, at one location in Olevsk, Zhytomyr Oblast, Nazaruk and his team earned $150 million.
— The amber mafia operating in the Rivne region most likely controls not only amber mining but also its sale.
"Their own" buyers are forced on prospectors, just like paying for a "ticket" and access to water. Nazaruk's men buy the "goods" on the spot at low prices, then deliver them to Kyiv, where they resell them at several times the price. This is very profitable: one kilogram of good-quality amber can earn $500. There are reports that Nazaruk's criminal group attempted to establish direct shipments of Rivne amber to China, but this has not yet been confirmed.
— Do you know where the amber mafia’s profits go?
"A smaller portion ends up in the pockets of law enforcement officers and officials involved in the corruption scheme. The majority ends up abroad. My guys saw Nazaruk's henchmen transport two huge checkered shopping bags filled with cash to Kyiv once a week."
— The government has attempted several times to stop illegal "sunstone" mining in the Rivne region using special battalions, though without much success. What's the reason for the failures on this front?
Nazaruk's people understand that it's dangerous to work openly now, as they did under Yanukovych. At any moment, the Alpha or Sokol special forces could arrive from Kyiv, detain everyone, and confiscate their motor pumps. Therefore, amber mining now mainly takes place in remote and well-guarded areas, accessible only by all-terrain vehicle or quad bike. "Overseers" bring teams of prospectors with motor pumps there, who pitch tents and work in shifts (one week at a time). At the entrance to the sites, there are checkpoints manned by men in balaclavas and armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles. Similar guards are posted on all forest trails leading to the sites.
In addition, there are "fishkari" (guest watchmen) working throughout the region. These are people paid to keep a close eye out for any unauthorized vehicles. For example, if an unknown car turns off the Varshavskaya Highway toward the regional center of Sarny, the appropriate authorities are immediately notified. Typically, three lines of fishkari stand on all roads leading to the "wash" (as the prospectors' location is known). If an unauthorized car passes the third line of fishkari (which is located approximately 10 kilometers from the wash), the command "Shukher!" is given, and the prospectors, along with their guards, quickly flee, their motor pumps included. Catching them is absolutely impossible.
— It was reported that a combat grenade was recently thrown into Nazaruk’s house.
"This has happened more than once. Grenades have landed on his relatives' homes, but no one was hurt. Many in the region are dissatisfied with the order established by Nazaruk."
*People dissatisfied with the way things are run have thrown combat grenades into this house, which belongs to Oleg Nazaruk, on more than one occasion.
— Is it true that Nazaruk threatened you?
"Not exactly. He didn't like the fact that I and my aides were gathering dirt on him. So he ordered that I be intercepted on a forest road and, as they say in Western Ukraine, 'dug up a little bit.' However, people from Nazaruk's entourage managed to warn me of the planned attack, and I took the necessary security measures."
— With which influential people does Nazaruk share the proceeds from his protection of the illegal amber industry?
“He has so cleverly set up the ‘work’ in the region that there is no need to share with anyone other than ‘his own’.
Journalist Yuriy Butusov claims that Ukraine's Prosecutor General, Viktor Shokin, personally requested Nazaruk's case for review and has not handed it over to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine for over a month.
"It's strange... Having gathered evidence of Nazaruk's involvement in the criminal scheme, I contacted the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, and the head of the Security Service of Ukraine. And I received maximum cooperation at all levels."
"And what have we achieved? Nazaruk remains at large and continues to run his scheme unhindered."
"We practically had Nazaruk pinned down several times, but unexpected obstacles arose at the very last moment. So I called a time-out. We need to figure out who's on whose side."
Irina KOPROVSKAYA, FACTS
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