13.05.2024 Investigations Kharkiv Money laundering Reconstruction of Ukraine Tenders

How Terekhov’s entourage is stealing healthcare, schools, utilities, and the reconstruction of Kharkiv

Kharkiv is a frontline city that has been in the enemy’s crosshairs since the first days of the full-scale invasion. Nevertheless, this does not prevent the local authorities from plundering the budget, land and property. While the city spends less than 2% of its budget, or UAH 272 million, on the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Wrong priorities or weakness of local authorities? Let’s find out.

The corruption circle of Kharkiv region

Ihor Oleksandrovych Terekhov is a mayor whose priority in politics is self-promotion.

During the two years of war, Terekhov’s entourage managed to make money on real estate and business abroad with the lobbying of the latter. For example, Anna Kuznetsova, a former deputy of the Kharkiv City Council who is close to the mayor, bought a house in Spain with a declared value of UAH 6 million after resigning her mandate. However, the real price of such an estate is much higher.

In addition, during 2022-2023, Kuznetsova became the owner of corporate rights of a number of legal entities registered in Poland. The total amount of declared investments in them is almost UAH 1 million. In fact, the acquisition of such rights does not indicate a new business for Kuznetsova. It is rather a pre-prepared gasket for withdrawing budget funds in the future. It is obvious that Terekhov is aware of such actions of his lover. Especially in the light of the fact that some structures of the On Clinic network are registered in Kuznetsova’s name. Therefore, Kharkiv’s budget will now flow through the woman’s Polish shell companies.

Meanwhile, Terekhov’s friend Kuznetsova painstakingly withdraws millions from the budget to foreign accounts. The love swindler himself gives personal consultations to Nelly Tsybulnyk in a country house. The latter is now the head of the administration of the Kholodnohirskyi district of Kharkiv, a position she was appointed to with special honors from the mayor.

We talked about the Tsybulnyk family ties and their role in the formation of the womanizer emperor Terekhov in a separate video. As a reminder, Tetiana Tsybulnyk, the head of the Novobavarskyi District State Administration, became famous for her criminal and raiding reputation. Her daughter Nelli took a different path, choosing personal meetings with the mayor over a strong managerial position. This is how the Terekhov Women’s Babrada was formed, where everyone gets what they want. It’s scary to imagine a meeting of all 4 members of the group.

Добкин и Терехов: Журналисты собрались всю информацию о Добкине и Терехове | Цензор.НЕТ

Terekhov’s trustee is Oleksiy Meniv. He is a lawyer, owner of a law firm and beneficiary of a number of legal entities. Meniv’s main area of expertise is land and medical issues. Thus, for a fixed fee, the lawyer can change the intended purpose of a land plot to the desired one and transfer it from communal to private ownership. As for the medical field, Meniv has found a “gold mine” here. He earns money mainly by purchasing medicines and equipment for healthcare facilities.

The first call that indicated Meniv’s connection to Terekhov was the former’s registration as a proxy for a mayoral candidate. Now, the lawyer directly deals with Ihor Oleksandrovych on financial matters, personally giving him kickbacks.

Another friend and close associate of Terekhov is Vasyl Skopenko. He is the head of the Kharkiv Heating Networks utility company, who has managed to misappropriate more than UAH 150 million over the years.

In particular, NABU detectives recently uncovered a scheme to steal UAH 160 million allocated for the city’s reconstruction. According to the investigation, a group of businessmen, KHTM Deputy Director General Serhiy Volyk and several shell companies tried to steal the funds. According to the scheme, an official of KHTM facilitated the conclusion of contracts for the supply of pipe products with companies under his control. Later, the “winner” purchased products from the manufacturer through a number of gasket companies and resold them to the municipal enterprise at twice the price. As a result, the company and the city budget suffered losses in the amount of UAH 160 million.

It is also interesting that Skopenko’s name, as the head of KHTM and Terekhov himself, is not mentioned in the NABU materials. Although the acts of acceptance and transfer of funds are signed by the head of the company. Isn’t this just another show for Ukrainians?

Speaking of Kharkiv’s elite, we should not forget about another star, Serhiy Kuzmin. He is the deputy mayor and manager of land, construction, and housing and communal affairs. Although Kuzmin flies to Europe in his spare time, this does not affect his control over the affairs in his hometown. Now, at a staff meeting, Kuzmin announced his move to the capital. However, he noted that the old schemes for treating kiosks and resolving land issues will still work. After all, his subordinates, such as Shevchenko, director of the municipal enterprise “Modern City,” remain in place.

Terekhov also communicates with “more serious people”. We are talking about David Arakhamia, the head of the Servant of the People faction. The former DJ Braun, now an influential politician, has taken on the role of mediator and harborer. Therefore, it is thanks to Arakhamia that all issues in the central government are easily resolved and corruption is covered up.

Igor Abramovich should not be forgotten either. Although he has been on the coast of France for a long time, he has been deprived of his parliamentary mandate. He still has influence. Especially on the internal processes of Kharkiv. Absolutely all tenders and budget allocations are under Abramovich’s strict control. Especially those related to the restoration and construction of fortifications.

Reconstruction of Kharkiv schools. Titan and BB Ukraine

According to open data, over the past four months, the Kharkiv City Council’s Department for Construction, Repair and Reconstruction has paid contractors UAH 113 million to rebuild schools in Kharkiv.

In August 2023, the Office for Construction, Repair and Reconstruction of the Department of Housing and Communal Services of the Kharkiv City Council announced a tender. The subject is as follows: “Major repairs to eliminate accidents in the Municipal Institution ‘Kharkiv Secondary School No. 140’. The expected cost of the work is almost UAH 19 million.

BB Ukraine and Garant Design Bureau took part in the bidding, with almost no difference in the proposed amounts. The winner was BB Ukraine, which signed an agreement with the Office of the Department of Housing and Communal Services for UAH 18 million 200 thousand.

BB Ukraine was registered in early 2019. Principal activity: construction of residential and non-residential buildings. The authorized capital is UAH 400 thousand. The company is owned by Yuriy Kalugin and Andriy Ukrainets. In 2023 alone, BB Ukraine signed contracts with the departments of the Kharkiv City Council worth more than UAH 140 million. At the same time, there is reasonable evidence that the company misappropriates budget funds at the expense of enterprises with risky characteristics.

For example, at the registration address of BB UKRAINE, 55 Svyatotroitska Street, Cherkasy, there is an unfinished building. Therefore, it can be concluded that the company has no financial ability to conduct business, as well as no means, equipment and labor force.

Special attention should also be paid to the construction company TBC TITAN, which is used as a conversion center for withdrawing budget funds. Titan has real signs of fictitiousness, which is reflected in the lack of real goals in business operations and a wide list of declared types of work. In addition, there is no information on the availability of any real estate – offices, workshops, warehouses. And at the legal address of TITAN – Kharkiv, 73a Saltivske Shosse, no actual premises can be found. So, how can we explain the absence of production sites, commercial and warehouse premises and other assets necessary for the implementation of the declared business activities?

Nevertheless, this does not prevent the Kharkiv authorities from entering into million-dollar contracts with the company. For reference, TITAN has already been given the opportunity to repair 4 schools, 3 lyceums and gymnasium No. 172 for more than UAH 50 million, most of which is already in the company’s pocket. The list also includes the reconstruction of the Rodnyk-1 residential complex in Northern Saltovka, for which UAH 1.5 million was allocated from the budget.

Self-promotion of Mayor Terekhov at public expense

Kharkiv City Council spends millions on its own PR in the media during the war. On February 20, a tender was announced on Prozorro with the subject: “publication of materials related to the activities of the city council on television”. Officials are ready to spend almost UAH 7 million from the city budget for this type of service. The tender was won by Intercom-Invest LLC. It was the only company to participate in the auction.

The company has repeatedly participated in tenders of the Kharkiv City Council and the Kharkiv Regional Police Department. The total amount of funds received by Intercom-Invest from public procurement in 2022-2024 is over UAH 7 million.

As for the details of the procurement, it was planned to purchase 450 hours of TV time, during which the programs should be broadcast until the end of 2024. In addition, almost UAH 3 million is planned to be spent on posting and promoting information materials from the official website of Kharkiv city council in online media. Thus, UAH 650,000 will be paid for 150 reposts of texts about the city council’s activities, which means that the cost of one material will be UAH 4,333. In total, it is planned to post 550 materials, with an average cost of UAH 4498 per material.

More details can be found in the investigation.

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