Mar 24, 2015

Kiev gives “Ukrnafta” back to Kolomoisky?

The oligarch’s security men were “protecting” the company, weapons were “pneumatic”

The Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine registered a draft law offering parliamentarians to cancel the amendments that led to the conflict between the central government in Kiev and the governor of Dnepropetrovsk region Igor Kolomoisky, Vzglyad reports.

The latest developments come in a massive information blackout imposed by Western media over the tug-of-war going on between the Ukrainian oligarchic factions.

The draft document is published on the Rada’s site and was submitted by Vitaly Barvinenko, a deputy from the “Revival” faction. The MP offered to cancel the amendment, which reduces the quorum for a decision on the distribution of profits and dividends in joint-stock companies from 60% + 1 share to 50% + 1 share.

The explanatory memorandum to the bill Barvinenko pointed out that the procedure of the bill on March 19 was illegal and violated the rules of the Ukrainian Parliament.

On March 19 the Verkhovna Rada adopted amendments to the Law on Joint Stock Companies, which deprived Kolomoiskiy control of “Ukrnafta”. This legislative initiative was introduced to resolve the situation with the payment of dividends. At the moment, the state owns 50% plus 1 share “Ukrnafta” and cannot call a shareholders’ meeting of the company, because the representatives of Kolomoisky’s group “Privat”, which owns 42% of the shares of “Ukrnafta”, do not respond. As a result, there is a problem with the distribution of private profit and dividend payments.

The same evening, dissatisfied with the decision of the Rada to dismiss his protégé Alexander Lazorko and by the “capture” of the office “Ukrtransnafta” by Yuri Miroshnikov, the Rada appointed Acting Chairman of the Board of “Ukrtransnafta”, who arrived in the afternoon, accompanied by soldiers of a security agency. Igor Kolomoisky also came to office “Ukrtransnafta” with armed men to oust the new head of the company and reinstall Mr. Lazorko as CEO. In a speech full of expletives he explained his actions as aimed against “Russian occupiers” who had taken over the building.

After this incident, the president of Ukraine Poroshenko issued Dnipropetrovsk Governor Igor Kolomoisky a reprimand, and the Verkhovna Rada demanded his resignation.

On Monday, the Verkhovna Rada deputy from the “Block Poroshenko” Sergei Leshchenko said that Kolomoisky is “barricading” himself in the building of “Ukrnafta” in Kiev. Kolomoisky himself explained the fence his men built with the threat from the “raider” – People’s Deputy Igor Eremeev.

On the same day the head of the Security Service of Ukraine Valentyn Nalyvaychenko said that all the people in the office building of the company “Ukrnafta” in Kiev, must be disarmed. In turn, the president of Ukraine Poroshenko said that the governors will not have their own “armies.”

Today “Ukrnafta” issued a statement that the fence was installed to prevent attacks, and that the weapons of its guards were pneumatic, 112.ua reports.

According to the statement made jointly with the security company “Sekyurayti”, they had received information about “an attack planned for Sunday night on the administrative office of the company by a person who must act in the interests of certain financial and industrial groups.”

In this connection, on March 21 employees of the security firm launched the “planned activities aimed at strengthening the security of the administrative building of “Ukrnafta”, in order to prevent possible attacks by illegal groups, including the purchase and installation of metal fences around the building.” And on March 22 “artificial agitation was fueled” around the work to strengthen “Ukrnafta’s” security,” the statement says.

On Tuesday MP’s controlled by Kolomoisky left the party of President Poroshenko and accused him and the Cabinet of corruption, misrule leading to the death of thousands.

Vitaly Kupriy, a people’s deputy and associate of oligarch Igor Kolomoisky accused President Poroshenko of entering a secret deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin and for the failure of the reforms.

In particular, the politician published on his Facebook page a “black list” of acts of the President:

Failed to fulfill his election promises to sell his business – Lipetsk factory and “Channel 5”
Colluded with anti-state oligarchs and gave instructions not to investigate the crimes of the regime of Viktor Yanukovych as a criminal organization
-Together with his stooges – the Chairman of the Ukrainian Central Bank Valeria Gontareva he amassed billions from the instability in the monetary system
By covering the unprofessional leadership of the General Staff and treason in the Security services contributed to the death of our soldiers in the Donbas
Acting in favor of Putin, violated international obligations of Ukraine to the European Union and stopped the process of ratification of the Rome Statute on the International Criminal Court, so as not to sit in jail for the massacre of civilians in the Donbas
Sabotaged the reforms of law enforcement, the tax system, and contributed to the adoption of an anti-people budget and reduced social standards.
Hinders the establishment of an independent Anti-Corruption Bureau.
Wrongfully affects the justice of major criminal cases. In the “Gongadze case” he has blocked the process of declassification of the case documents, to enable the people having ordered the murder to escape punishment
Blocked the process of rehabilitation of political prisoners of the Yanukovych regime and created a precedent prosecution of peaceful protesters who criticize the government
Supports the principle of “selective justice” and inaction in cases of obvious violation of the rights of people

“Poroshenko continues to deceive the Ukrainian people”, – concluded the MP.

We note today a number of people’s deputies announced their withdrawal from STDs. The decision was taken due to the disagreement with the policy of the authorities towards the Dnipropetrovsk governor [Kolomoisky].

Meanwhile Poroshenko threatened to take away Kolomoisky’s battalion “Dnepr”

The deputy head of the Dnipropetrovsk ODA Gennady Korban also presented their claims to Kiev, saying that Kiev authorities were caught stealing and have consistently lied, so it was time for them to leave.

He stated this at a briefing in Dnipropetrovsk on Monday, “Ukrainian Pravda” reports

According to him, “Today it is time to bring order to Kiev.”

“In Kiev, which promised us decentralization, economic independence in a way, that is, financial decentralization, much more was promised – and nobody did anything,” – said Korban.

He urged the city authorities “to not lie to their own people.”

“Stop lying about decentralization, enough lies about the progress in the AntiTerroristOperation, about the number of victims; we have accurate data that we collect all this time, the state of the Ukrainian army and security services” – Korban said.

He also said that now the law enforcement have “substituted Yanukovych’s regime.”

“Today Kyiv is occupied by thieves. And it is time these thieves get away,” – he said.