12.10.2024
Corruption
Kharkiv
Мobilization
How the Shlyakh system became a channel for illegal travel abroad during the war
Corruption in Shlyakh has become one of the most high-profile schemes that undermines trust in state institutions during the war and leads to the misuse of critical resources that should contribute to the country’s defense.
Unfortunately, martial law in Ukraine has become a cover for large-scale abuses related to the Shlyakh system. Initially created to reserve vehicles needed for defense purposes, the system has been used to illegally travel abroad for men of military age.
It is known that permits to travel abroad through Shlyakh were obtained not only by those who were actually involved in critical infrastructure, but also by individuals who paid large bribes for the opportunity. Prices for illegal permits reached tens of thousands of dollars. The scheme involved people close to the leadership who could influence the issuance of permits.
Mustafa Nayem, who held a position at the State Agency for Reconstruction, and Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov came under suspicion because their subordinates and associates could have access to the Shlyakh system and participate in corruption schemes. According to journalistic investigations, the abuses had been going on for a long time, and only after a public outcry did official investigations begin.
The situation with “Shlyakh” in Kharkiv region
In the Kharkiv region, the situation with Shlyakh has gained a new lease of life – officials of the Kharkiv Regional Council and the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration have created a channel for the unimpeded departure of men subject to military service abroad. All of this was done with the help of the fictitious Zachepylivska RPO “FC ‘Kolos’, whose main activity is other sports activities.
The organization has only 1 employee and was created for the activities of the football club Kolos (Zachepylivka), which was finally disbanded in 2018. In addition, the said NGO is registered in Zachepylivka, Kharkiv region, with a population of approximately 2000 people.
These facts indicate that it is impossible for such a large number of people to travel abroad as real volunteers from the NGO “Football Club Kolos”, and therefore the vast majority of trips were made by forging documents as part of a criminal scheme to organize the illegal transfer of persons across the state border of Ukraine by members of an organized criminal group in order to obtain illegal benefits.
Based on false information from the Zachepylivska RPO “Football Club Kolos”, the Kharkiv DIA issued travel permits to more than 200 people, some of whom traveled to Europe several times.
Three times, Kharkiv Regional Administrative Office issued a permit to cross the state border of Ukraine to Valeriy Kliuchko, a driver of the head of Kharkiv Regional Council Tetiana Yegorova-Lutsenko, who was also a member of the Kharkiv Regional Council. According to the Arkan system and the State Border Guard Service, the man crossed the state border of Ukraine in the “exit” direction 23 times. At the same time, none of the exits/entries were made by the cars specified in the letters of appeal from the Kolos Football Club NGO. Each time, the border of Ukraine was crossed using the “green corridor” channel.
On February 16, 2023, the official driver of the head of the Kharkiv Regional Council, Yegorova-Lutsenko, left the territory of Ukraine and as of January 17, 2024, has not returned.
During the NACP inspection, it was found that as part of his own trips, Valerii Kliuchko took Yegorova-Lutsenko herself abroad in a company car Skoda Superb, license plate AH 00 44 NE. And on October 5, 2022, Valerii Kliuchko took Vitalii Lutsenko, the husband of the Head of the Kharkiv Regional Council, Tetiana Petrivna Yegorova-Lutsenko, out of Ukraine in the same car, who was traveling to France to resolve his own business issues.
On December 27, 2022, Yegorova-Lutsenko, having arranged for remote work, left the country again in a Porsche Macan, registration KX 00 07 EE, owned by her mother, Oberezok Nadii, in a company car driven by Valerii Kliuchko, heading to France to visit her husband, Vitalii Lutsenko. She returned to Ukraine only on January 9, 2023.
The list of drivers who went abroad under the guise of volunteering includes the son and husband of the former chief of staff of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration Belyavtseva, who was suspected by NABU for embezzling humanitarian aid, an adviser to Yegorova-Lutsenko, the deputy chief of staff of the Kharkiv Regional Council, the husband of the rector of Karazin University, the husband and assistant of the MP from SN Kindburgska, 4 former deputies of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration and a number of well-known businessmen.
Obviously, these individuals are in no way connected with the volunteer organization or the Kolos Football Club itself.
All the permits were directly signed by the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Syniehubov. I wonder if the man will be involved in the case this time?
On January 8, 2024, the NACP appealed to the National Police of Ukraine with a statement about the presence of signs of criminal offenses in the actions of officials under Art. 332 of the Criminal Code (organization and illegal transportation of persons across the state border) and Art. 366 of the Criminal Code (forgery). It is also interesting to note that at the request of the Zachepyliv district NGO “Football Club Kolos”, the Kharkiv Regional Military District Administration granted permission to travel abroad to 216 people!
Initially, the police did not respond to the NACP’s appeal and did not enter information into the URPTI or launch a pre-trial investigation, deliberately creating conditions for the perpetrators of criminal offenses to avoid responsibility. However, in the end, the case was opened… But there is one caveat… the NACP’s statement and materials regarding the officials of the Kolos NGO, to whom the Kharkiv Regional Council of Tetiana Yegorova-Lutsenko issued travel permits, were redirected by Kharkiv law enforcement officers… for some reason to the Lviv Regional Police.
The media often wrote about Kozytskyi’s (the head of the Lviv Regional State Administration) connection to Yegorova-Lutsenko and their lobbying for each other’s business interests. Therefore, the conspiracy of law enforcement officers who do not hesitate to “play to the tune” of the Kharkiv authorities is now obvious.
We have also submitted materials to the security forces demanding a thorough investigation into the fraud of Kharkiv authorities with the Shlyakh system. Based on our materials, the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office registered the information in the URPTI under Nº 42024220000000228 under Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
So, we are waiting for the results of the investigation. We hope it will be fair and without manipulation.
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