"P. gave the go-ahead. Personally": Poroshenko got into a new corruption scandal
A new scandalous investigation into the theft of funds by the entourage of the still current President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has been published in Ukraine.
In the material, prepared by journalists from the “Schemes” programs of the Radio Liberty channel, it is said about the involvement of Poroshenko’s ally and business partner Igor Kononenko in corruption schemes in the energy sector, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
Journalists published recordings of telephone conversations between Kononenko and the former chairman of the Private JSC Holding Company Energoset Dmitry Kryuchkov, the owners of FC Dynamo brothers Igor and Grigory Surkis, people's deputy from the Popular Front Igor Kotvitsky and others. In particular, these individuals in conversations develop illegal ways to gain and maintain control over regional energy supply companies, and also discuss the distribution of significant sums between participants in the scheme.
The essence of the scheme was that JSC “Zaporozhyeoblenergo”, “Cherkassyoblenergo” and “Kharkovoblenergo” gave the go-ahead for large local industrial enterprises to pay for the already supplied electricity not directly to these regional energy companies, but to “Energoseti”, where Kryuchkov chaired at that time.
Journalists, citing NABU, claim that in 2015, Energoset received from Zaporozhyeoblenergo, 60% of whose shares belong to the state, the right to demand debt for electricity from the Zaporozhye Ferroalloy Plant, the Zaporozhye Titanium-Magnesium Plant and Dneprospetsstal for the total amount 500 million hryvnia. At the same time, in the end, Energoset collected these amounts from consumers, but the oblenergo did not pay anything for the right to claim the debt. From Cherkassyoblenergo, 46% of the shares belong to the state, Kryuchkov’s company received the right to claim a debt for electricity in the amount of 300 million hryvnia from JSC Cherkasy Azot, and from Kharkovoblenergo - for 100 million.
The viability of the scheme was maintained thanks to the coordinated work or tacit consent of a number of people's deputies, heads of regional administrations, businessmen, the State Property Fund of Ukraine, and the National Commission for State Regulation in the Spheres of Energy and Utilities.
Kryuchkov, with the help of Kononenko and the Surkis brothers, lobbied for the appointment of loyal leaders of regional power companies, who gave consent to state-owned companies to enter into corrupt deals. The story named the chairman of Zaporozhyeoblenergo Igor Kornelenkov and Vladimir Yavorskoy from Kharkovoblenergo.
At the same time, as journalists reported, “by telephone, Kryuchkov not only contacts influential people from the president’s entourage and enlists the support of the head of the Kharkov region.”
“He assures: the situation with Kharkovoblenergo is under control at the level of President Poroshenko,” the investigation says.
“Kryuchkov: And some more important information.
Kotvitsky: Yes.
Kryuchkov: On Friday night we were at “P”. At “P”.
Kotvitsky: Yes, yes.
Kryuchkov: He gave the go-ahead. Personally.
Kotvitsky: Well, great. This will seem to make the situation and understanding easier for us,” journalists cite fragments of conversations.
At the moment, Kryuchkov is in Stadelheim prison in Germany, awaiting extradition to Ukraine at the request of NABU. When the scheme was discovered, he managed to escape from Ukraine - first he was in Russia, and then moved to Germany, where, being wanted, he was detained by local police.
Due to the lack of access to mobile communications in prison, journalists contacted Kryuchkov by mail, and he gave them his written answers, where he confirmed the corrupt interests of Poroshenko’s inner circle, among whom were those involved in the conversations. Kryuchkov commented simply on the question of his influence on the activities of oblenergos and the use of connections with officials to resolve issues of the Energy Network: “In developed countries, such relations have an official name - lobbying.”
Also, the ex-president of Energoseti said that part of the agreements, which was the area of responsibility of Poroshenko’s side, was carried out precisely by the presidential partner Igor Kononenko.
“There were agreements with them both on the energy network, and Kharkov-, Nikolaev-, Zaporozhye-, Cherkassy-, Khmelnytskoblenergo, Centrenergo, OPZ, Odessa, Nikolaev and other thermal power plants and companies... There were financial relations, of course. They, according to the agreements, received from 50% to 75% of the income from the business that was the subject of the agreements,” Kryuchkov wrote.
In total, the state suffered damage of almost one and a half billion hryvnia.
“Currently, the National Bureau is investigating criminal offenses, from which it is clear that Kryuchkov, as well as other persons, caused damage totaling over 1,4 billion hryvnia... He was given instructions by other persons, and he followed these instructions. Now we are identifying all the persons involved, in particular those who gave these instructions,” said NABU detective Roman Voytyuk, who appears in the story.
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