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Vladimir Groisman. Photo from the Cabinet website.
Today, former Prime Minister Vladimir Groisman is at the center of a scandal. Judging by the documents that reached the media, the NABU is investigating a criminal case. This is a bribe for appointing a president for the state company Ukrbud.
The bribery, according to the criminal case, consisted of the premises of the elite Kiev residential complex “Aristocrat” – with office premises and parking spaces.
At the same time, apparently, the former co-owner of Ukrbud, the scandalous developer Maxim Mikitas, gave testimony against Groysman (he, in fact, according to the investigation, gave a bribe).
Mikitas was recently released from the remand center under house arrest. Later, he also testified against the enemy of the NABU director Artem Sytnik, the deputy head of the Office of the President Oleg Tatarov.
But unlike Tatarov, on whose case NABU even issued an official statement, anti-corruption officials say nothing about the Groisman case. And the public found out from the media leaks.
Although the case of the former prime minister is much more ambitious and resonant than that of Tatarov.
“Strana” understood the situation.
What is said about the Groisman bribery in the court decision?
We have at our disposal the decisions of the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court in the Mikitas case. They authorize searches at the facilities of “Ukrbud” in different addresses: on Bogdanovskaya and Sverstiuk streets.
The decisions are dated November 26.
The purpose of the searches, as stated in the motivation part of both documents, is to find evidence of the collusion between Maksim Mikitas and Prime Minister Vladimir Groisman.
The investigation states that one day from September 9 to 13, 2017, Mikitas, who was then a people’s deputy, met with the prime minister in the negotiating room of the Cabinet of Ministers. In it, the people’s deputy promised the head of government a bribe – the property rights to the offices in the elite residential complex “Aristocrat”, which was being built by the company “Ukrbud-Development”.
“Aristocrat” residential complex, which has “Groisman Offices”. Photo “Country”
According to the investigation, Mikitas promised Groisman to sell these premises at a great discount, for two million dollars, while the market price of two thousand square meters, which was discussed in the negotiating room of the Cabinet of Ministers, is at minus six.
The deal was finalized a few months later, on December 18. The offices, as well as spaces for cars and motorcycles, were registered in the name of Vinnitsa businessman Yuriy Gizhko. According to the investigation, they were in fact transferred under the control of the prime minister. In fact, according to the investigation, Groisman “saved” more than 75 million hryvnia. What NABU considers the total amount of the bribe.
Mikitas wanted the prime minister to appoint her man as the director of Ukrbud (this is a state company and its director is chosen by the government). On September 13, the Cabinet of Ministers appointed Alexander Lyatambor president of the company.
Let’s clarify that, according to the VAKS decisions, Groisman is not a suspect in this case.
Mikitas continues “singing”
Apparently, the story with Groisman came after developer Mikitas’ confessional testimony. The day before yesterday he suddenly left the remand center, where he had languished since the spring.
The former town deputy since last fall is suspected of embezzling money from the Interior Ministry for the construction of the very residential complex “Aristocrat”, in which, according to NABU, a man of the former prime minister received office space.
The elite complex “Aristocrat” was built by the company “Ukrbud” on the territory of the military unit of the National Guard. And for this he had to reimburse the department with apartments after construction. But as a result, I paid with a cheaper home, but did not repay the difference. By sharing it, apparently, with the leadership of the National Guard.
This case has gone on for more than a year.
But the other day it escalated significantly. NABU tried to arouse the suspicions of the deputy head of the Office of the President Oleg Tatarov.
Provided legal and defense services to “Ukrbud” during the history of the National Guard apartments.
Tatarov rejects all the accusations against him and claims that NABU is taking revenge on him for his political position: a few days before the attempt to convey suspicions, the Yermak deputy criticized the head of the department Artyom Sytnik and called for his resignation.
It is interesting that it was after these events that the VAKS changed the restriction measure from the isolation room to house arrest for Maxim Mikitas. The formal reason was the fact that the former developer returned to the budget 50 of 80 million in the case of apartments for NSU.
In fact, there was a political agreement between Mikitas and NABU. The former people’s deputy apparently began to actively testify against those who can be considered opponents of the Director of the Office, Artyom Sytnik, or his friendly structures: the “Soros” and the Western embassies.
However, Vladimir Groisman was never one of them.
Why Groysman?
There are two versions of this score. The first – from the supporters and representatives of the former prime minister himself.
They believe the campaign against the politician was sparked by his supposedly high ratings, which were published by the Rating agency this week (where Groisman suddenly turned out to be the third most trusted politician in the country after Zelensky and Klitschko).
“I officially declare that Volodymyr Groisman has nothing to do with any act of corruption, and the information on this matter is an absolute lie.
Taking into account that the next ratings were published the day before yesterday, showing that Ukrainians’ trust in Volodymyr Groisman has been growing in the last six months and is already 31%, the appearance of false information aimed at discrediting him is nothing more than the beginning of a dirty political campaign. “Spokesman for former Prime Minister Vasily Ryabchuk.
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Groisman’s partner, former social policy minister Andrei Reva, speaks of the same.
“It is indicative that VAKS ‘classified information was leaked to the media immediately after the rating agency released the results of its sociological survey, according to which Groisman has the third highest result among famous political figures in terms of voter confidence after of Zelensky and Klitschko “. I don’t think so, “Reva told The Strana.
However, opinion polls cited by Groisman’s supporters are not worth overestimating.
So far, only one sociological group has recorded the former prime minister’s third place, while the rest see no such anomalies. In reality, support for the Groisman and Klitschko parties is around 1-2%. As well as his presidential qualifications.
Although, at the level of a separate region, the Vinnitsa region, Groisman’s party achieved impressive success, taking control of both the regional council and the Vinnitsa city hall. Yes, and the mayor passed. But this, again, is just one area.
It is indicative that NABU is silent on this story, which in the case of Tatarov actively influenced the issue, and now officially does not comment on anything. Sytnik’s unwillingness to pedal the Groisman theme is evident.
Therefore, the leak was most likely organized by a third force, which has a personal grudge against the former prime minister. He has many enemies, for example Poroshenko, whom Groisman refused to support in last year’s elections, and is now his rival in the fight for the electorate in Central Ukraine. In the last local elections, Groisman literally “declassified” the former president’s party in his native Vinnitsa.
Well, the silence of NABU in this case is very significant. Although, apparently, only about this case (and not about the much less resonant case of Tatarov) and it was necessary to speak first of all.
Furthermore, for Groisman it was probably no longer a secret that Mikitas had testified against him.
“There are two oddities in the Groisman case,” a law enforcement source tells Strana. “The first is that NABU does not say anything about him. Although this is perhaps the most sensational case in recent years. The second is that Mikitas was released. According to science, it was necessary to tighten him according to the testimony against Groisman (potentially there are many episodes ) and against Klitschko and other high-ranking officials, but as soon as Mikitas gave the evidence that Sytnik needed against Tatarov, he was released. There is still some testimony from him. And this calls into question NABU’s overall desire to actually investigate the case. of Groisman. Yes, there were investigative actions, searches, etc. But where is the suspicion of Groisman and his people? Right, now, after the resonance, according to – you will not be able to launch or sell it quietly. You will have to invent something, do something and declare something. “
However, the interlocutor of “Strana” in the attached body believes that the case against Groisman may be a “greeting” from Poroshenko. “With whom is Groisman competing most fiercely in the political arena now? With Poroshenko and his party. And the NABU leadership with the former president has a long-standing relationship. Just like Mikitas. Perhaps that’s why Mikitas remembered all his accomplices in the previous government for some reason, just about Groisman, “says the source.
