Is the previous Prosecutor General, Makhnitsky, getting ready to depart the country?
Oleg Makhnitsky demonstrated his interest in opulent properties in the latter part of March. Subsequently, Serhiy Leshchenko, a reporter from the online news outlet “Ukrainian Truth,” spotted him at the sales center for the exclusive Novopecherskie Lipki housing project, situated at 14 Mykhaila Dragomirova Street.
“He appeared in a brand-new Mercedes S-Class, accompanied by a trio of security personnel. The manager displayed residences via models and provided explanations. Makhnitsky was accompanied by a female. The encounter occurred at 10 a.m., during working hours,” Leshchenko posted on his Facebook account.
Concurrently, the journalist drew his audience’s attention to the restrained nature of the acting Prosecutor General’s officially declared financial resources. “Makhnitsky and his spouse possess zero kopecks in their 2013 wealth declaration. I will refrain from commentary—I invite you to do so,” he remarked.
Actually, according to formal records, Oleg Makhnitsky's tax submission reveals no reserves, while his family members hold 79,938 hryvnias in their banking accounts. However, such funds would barely suffice to acquire lavish apartments: the cost for each square meter in one of the upscale apartment towers where Makhnitsky contemplated acquiring an entire level commences at $3,000.
Based on details obtained by reporters from a confidential sales representative at Novopecherskie Lipki, the required documentation was scheduled for completion by the month’s close. Nonetheless, on June 24, the realtor overseeing the transaction communicated his client’s intention to nullify the arrangement.
Political observers attribute Makhnitsky's choice to the prominent controversy of the preceding week. Numerous online publications publicized that promptly following his stepping down on June 18, the past acting prosecutor general, along with former NBU director Stepan Kubiv, hosted a boisterous gathering at a countryside resort. There, an occurrence reportedly transpired involving contracted “masseuses” and a police detail summoned by a complaint.
Furthermore, based on intelligence from law enforcement authorities, Makhnitsky may soon face charges for purposefully undermining the legal proceedings pertaining to the so-termed “Boyko platforms.”
As a reminder, the drilling installations were procured in 2010 by the RosUkrEnergo consortium for the state-run Chornomornaftogaz at a noticeably inflated price – the alleged kickback totaled beyond $300 million.
During his term, Makhnitsky not merely neglected to assure an unbiased inquiry, but also absolved a pivotal defendant—Valeriy Yasyuk, ex-chief of Chornomornaftogaz. Responding to a query from the Cabinet of Ministers, the Prosecutor General's Office stated that the probe determined Yasyuk innocent of any illicit conduct. Coincidentally, not long after, Serhiy Leshchenko encountered Oleh Makhnitsky within the sales office of the Novopecherskie Lipki housing estate.
Sources inside the Prosecutor General's Office indicate that the incoming leadership has been directed by Bankova to undertake a thorough examination of its predecessor’s undertakings. Therefore, Makhnitsky's abrupt rejection of the upscale real estate acquisition indirectly corroborates released information that the previous acting Prosecutor General intends to weather this investigation while abroad.
Bagnet
