Valery Karpuntsov
Only a few months have passed since the appointment of Yuriy Lutsenko as Prosecutor General (Read more about him in the article Yuriy Lutsenko. “Terminator” of Ukrainian politics), and the department entrusted to him is already in full swing, as they say, on its ears. And although from the outside there is no visible hesitation in the “prosecutor’s sea”, real passions are raging under the water. And for some prosecutorial workers – even tragedies, reports ANTIKOR.
The reason is quite obvious – having received the task from the President to systematically reform the GPU, Yuriy Lutsenko took up the matter seriously. “Each vacancy will be filled by professional people who pass tests… From below, I want to fill the prosecutor’s office with lawyers who did not work in the prosecutor’s office,” Yuri Vitalievich said at a recent press conference, adding that he sees cleansing the prosecutor’s office as one of his main priorities.
And it is clear that such cleansing is a very unpleasant process for the old guard, who is trying in every possible way (and so far unsuccessfully) to show the new Prosecutor General that she has instantly become honest and pure, like spring water.
Therefore, today in the Prosecutor General’s Office there is a real struggle between the new team and personnel who have long been involved in corruption schemes. And if Yuriy Lutsenko cleaned up the “top” of the GPU almost immediately, the middle link is clinging to its teeth in order to continue to have the opportunity to “resolve issues.”
Cutting comrade
One of these characters is Valery Karpuntsov. Recently, he was a senior assistant to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine for special assignments, and now a people’s deputy of Ukraine (he was elected to the Rada on the lists after the last reformatting of the Cabinet of Ministers).
The personality is absolutely ordinary and uninteresting: a typical provincial careerist who, by chance, ended up in grain-earning positions. First he worked in the legal department of Our Ukraine, then he became a deputy of the City Council from Klitschko’s party, later he helped “cut budgets” for Vladislav Kaskiv at the State Agency for Investments (the criminal case for embezzlement of 230 million was closed only after the Maidan), and finally in 2012 he rose to the rank of people’s deputy under the quota of the same “UDAR”.
In the parliamentary field, however, he was not remembered for anything special – he performed like everyone else, and voted the same. Therefore, it is not surprising that in the 2014 elections he ended up in 77th place on the BPP list, and did not get into the Rada. The situation was further aggravated by the conflict with Vitali Klitschko, who learned that despite his pseudo-opposition, Karpuntsov, during the time of Yanukovych, leaked information about his boss to the “regionals” and even helped the PR “dump” Klitschko (Read more about him in the article Vitali Klitschko. The dark past of “looking to tomorrow”) for the presence of German and American documents.
Senior Assistant for Special Assignments
So Karpuntsov was left out of work and was forced to look for a new patron. Of course, with such a remarkable trail it was quite difficult to do this, but there was an institution where Karpuntsov’s “principles and honesty” came in handy – Prosecutor General Vitaly Yarema (Read more about him in the article by Vitaly Yarema. “Honest cop” and godfather of Sergei Dumchev) took Valera as his assistant. Moreover, not just like that, but as a senior assistant on special assignments!
Judging by the results of Yarema’s work, Karpuntsov helped him not so much. Although, by and large, Valera had different tasks – to make the most of her incomprehensible position for protection of business, corruption schemes and “fixers”. In general, I worked according to all the behests of Ilyich, or rather Viktor Fedorovich.
The business, of course, was profitable, but dangerous. And it is not surprising that Karpuntsov decides… to insure his life for 636 thousand UAH, which arouses additional interest among journalists. Firstly, the question arose – why so little (although people who know Valery’s tight-fistedness are not surprised)? And, secondly, additional questions arose regarding the “modest” vehicle fleet of just the prosecutor’s assistant: Honda CRV, Mazda CX-9 and Audi Q7. It would seem – well, people love cars, what’s wrong with that? Nothing, if you don’t take into account that Karpuntsov’s declaration does not provide for money for a car – he didn’t earn it. After all, since 2009 he has worked exclusively in the public service.
Karpuntsov himself, by the way, was offended by the journalists at the time, publicly called them scum for daring to be interested in the finances of such a person, and then continued to “cut the money.”
Public Whistleblower
In exchange for the opportunity to “resolve issues,” Karpuntsov had to take on the role of the six, carrying out any orders from above. He, in particular, became one of the talking heads of the prosecutor’s office. Or rather, his duties were not so much to speak, but to publicly “kill” the right people on orders from the outside.
The work, of course, is not dusty, but for many professional personnel it is, as they say, “a waste.” But Karpuntsov didn’t bother too much. Moreover, as a carrot, he was promised a bread-and-butter position as the head of the Main Directorate of the representative office and the organization of participation in criminal support in court.
But, as you know, they wait three years for what was promised – Viktor Shokin came to replace Yarema (Read more about him in the article by Viktor Shokin. Prosecutor “on vacation”), and Karpuntsov never received a promotion (although he even tried to beg for the position of deputy prosecutor general).
But Valera continued to go to press conferences and denounce everyone: from Korban to Sakvarelizde. By the way, he was especially skeptical about the latter, reasonably assuming that the Georgian team could quickly cut off his oxygen.
It is interesting that Karpuntsov’s ambitions are not limited to the position of chief assistant on “bring and serve” issues. Therefore, when the question arose about appointing a new prosecutor general, among other candidates the name came up… of Karpuntsov himself!
Of course, no one took him seriously, but Valery really made Napoleonic plans (self-hypnosis is a great power). But his actions were limited to calling journalists he knew with a request to make the necessary information dump, after which he began to sit for hours in the reception areas of high offices.
But, unlike Pronya Prokopovna, who “sat, sat and hung,” Valery did not sit through anything – the country was lucky, he was not appointed prosecutor general. Which Karpuntsev was very offended by. His exorbitant ambitions grew so much that when he was offered to become the President’s representative in parliament, Valery pointedly refused. As a result, another deputy from the BPP (Artur Gerasimov) was appointed to this position.
Emotions subsided, and Karpuntsov realized his recklessness. And today he is trying in every possible way to convince the country’s leadership that he was misunderstood; he is, as before, ready to work for the benefit of the state and the prosecutor’s office. True, in its own special understanding.
Small, but on two chairs at once
Even in an interview with the “Commander-in-Chief” he subtly hints that he is ready to sit in two chairs – deputy and prosecutorial (the style has been preserved – note): “I didn’t really leave the prosecutor’s office. I was sent to the Verkhovna Rada to exercise parliamentary powers. There is a norm in the Labor Code that a person is sent to an elective position. And in the law “On the Prosecutor’s Office”, in the law “On the status of people’s deputy” it is also written that a person working in law enforcement agencies is sent for the period of entry into force of the elected powers. It turns out that a position in the prosecutor’s office includes two components – a prosecutor and an administrative position. That is, my administrative position has been stopped, but in terms of the prosecutorial component I remain in the service. The law allows this.”
To be on the safe side, and at the same time to reinforce the importance and “height” of his figure, Karpuntsov came up with nothing more interesting than organizing himself an officer rank. He didn’t waste time on trifles. Just go for a walk, so with music. The shoulder straps of a solid general of the prosecutor’s office fell on Karpuntsov’s powerful shoulders on Independence Day.
Will Yuriy Lutsenko keep this Gogol character in the GPU? If you are guided by common sense and the need to cleanse the structure, it is unlikely. After all, the figure of Valery Karpuntsov does not fit into the updated system of the prosecutor’s office. Moreover, as a person who held leadership positions during the Yanukovych regime, Karpuntsov falls under lustration and simply has no right to work in the prosecutor’s office or to gain any leverage in it.
Kaskiv case
In addition, Karpuntsov’s past may also emerge in the testimony of his fellow worker Kaskiv. As you know, Kaskiv’s extradition from Panama is highly anticipated in Ukraine. After all, then the ex-head of the State Investment Project will have to tell who else besides him is involved in the theft of government funds in the amount of 7.5 million UAH. Even if Karpuntsov manages to get away with it, he clearly won’t be able to stay in the GPU.
And only one thing remains for “officer” Valery: to sit alone in the evenings by the fireplace of his country house and look at his favorite portrait a la “Pshonka-style”: in full height, in a general’s uniform. Because nothing else should connect him with the prosecutor’s office. The time for “deciding with stripes” is over.
Vitaly Nezhinsky
ON TOPIC:
Yuriy Lutsenko. “Terminator” of Ukrainian politics
Vitali Klitschko. The dark past of “looking to tomorrow”
Vitaly Yarema. “Honest cop” and godfather of Sergei Dumchev
Victor Shokin. Prosecutor “on vacation”
