Mstislav Skorobogatov: a swindler disguised as a patriot

It is convenient to love Ukraine during the war at a distance. For example, from Austria or another calm European country. From there, you can watch from above what is happening in your native country and criticize its top leadership and government structures, writes From-UA.

If you thought that this was done by a retired professional person with vast experience in public administration, you are mistaken. Rather, this is a semi-retired scammer with a huge criminal list of actions against the Ukrainian economy. This is a citizen named Mstislav Skorobogatov.

Positioning himself as a patriot of Ukraine and demonstrating outstanding awareness of corruption schemes in all sectors of the Ukrainian economy, he mercilessly criticizes the activities of the state leadership and officials on social networks.

But a person who knows too much about corruption schemes should be alarmed, because at one time she was an active participant in them. One of the latest examples is the president of the Ingulets football club and businessman Alexander Povoroznyuk, who publicly stated: “I’ll tell you honestly that these hands stole a lot. But I have never stolen from people, only from the state.” As a result, Povoroznyuk was included in the Peacemaker database, and the NAPC and other anti-corruption structures should take care of his case.

The aforementioned politically active hero Mstislav Skorobogatov also stole a lot, and the state paid for this, which means each of us, taxpayers. Therefore, Mstislav Skorobogatov wanted The National Police on suspicion of fraud, and now lives in Austria, where he fled from Ukrainian justice.

Mstislav Skorobogatov: a fraudster in disguise

From what is officially known about this rogue, first of all, 613 thousand US dollars stolen from the Nadra bank should be mentioned. As established by the pre-trial investigation authorities, Skorobogatov owned one legal entity with a very long name, namely the Collective Enterprise “Ekoplast” of the Public Organization “Kyiv City Organization of the Disabled” Our Business “, which in February 2007 received a credit line from Nadra Bank” ceiling” 2.6 million dollars.

This money was provided on the security of real estate located in the Chernivtsi region of the Cheremosh Tourist Complex Open Joint Stock Company, one of whose shareholders was Mstislav Skorobogatov.

The most interesting thing is that 10 percent of the shares of this company belonged to the state represented by the State Property Fund, but contrary to the requirements of the legislation in force at that time, the management of the complex did not apply for permission to transfer property in a mortgage to the regional branch of the State Property Fund and the transaction was completed without his consent.

Since the bank’s funds were not returned, on July 7, 2011, the Main Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine initiated a criminal case No. 24-248 under Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – “Fraud”.

Mstislav Skorobogatov: a fraudster in disguise

Within the framework of criminal proceedings No. 12017100100010828 dated September 13, 2017, among its episodes there was also an offense under part 1 of article 364-1 of the Criminal Code on abuse of power by an official, namely the first vice president. O. Logoshnyak, who issued credit funds to the proper Skorobogatov KP “Ekoplast”, thereby inflicting material damage on an especially large scale to the specified financial institution.

On August 3, 2018, one of the prosecutors of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine, who served as the procedural head in this criminal proceeding, Skorobogatov was declared suspected of committing a criminal offense under Part 4 of Art. 190 of the Criminal Code. In connection with the failure to establish the location, the defendant was put on the wanted list, and the court granted permission for his detention for the purpose of a forced pretext.

However, for unknown reasons, without carrying out the necessary investigative actions with the participation of Skorobogatov and other intruders, the procedural head of the Kyiv prosecutor’s office closed the proceedings, and the case materials are hidden in the specified institution for a long time.

It must be admitted that cases of this category are not simply closed. But, apparently, even after the issue was resolved, a significant part of the stolen money remained with Skorobogatov, otherwise, for what money does he now live in Austria and have a business there.

This was just one episode of the turbulent business career of our rogue, which began in the merry nineties. Its start was cooperation with the Indian businessman Baliram Chainrai, who bought consumer electronics wholesale in Hong Kong and South Korea and brought it to Ukraine for retail, which was already handled by Mstislav Skorobogatov.

It seems that these imports, as often happened, entered the country without taxes. And they say that in order to resolve the issue with customs and the police, Skorobogatov took his friend Olesandr Daineko, a former employee of the GUBOP, into the fate. Based on shares, the company was called “Dasko” – after the first letters of the names of partners, but their common business did not last long. In 1999, Daineko was shot dead in the entrance of his house on Pobedy Avenue.

As for resolving disputes with law enforcement agencies, it seems that after Daineko another person took up this task, namely Stepan Lotiuk, the former prosecutor of Kyiv and Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine. Soon Skorobogatov decided that the clandestine production of consumer electronic equipment could be much more profitable than its smuggling, and therefore, in the basement on the outskirts of Kyiv, an assembly of TVs from world famous manufacturers – Sony, Toshiba, Sharp, and so on was organized. By the way, Skorobogatov’s Indian partner did not like this “business turn”, which led to serious contradictions between them.

It was then that the need arose to establish an appropriate legal entity with a very long name – the Collective Enterprise “Ekoplast” of the Public Organization “Kyiv City Organization of the Disabled “Our Business”. The calculation was, obviously, that the police would be ashamed to touch the disabled, but it did not happen as expected. In April 2003, the Office for Combating Economic Crime covered up a manufacturer of counterfeit products, which, according to the most conservative estimates, was made in the amount of 33 million hryvnias (the dollar before that was 5.5 hryvnias).

In addition to the UBEP, the tax police joined in the prosecution of the attackers, which, in turn, opened two criminal cases under articles 212 and 209 of the Criminal Code, and the damage caused to the state by illegal actions aimed at tax evasion was estimated at 2 million hryvnias. However, probably due to the influence of Stepan Lotyuk, who for a long time had very sincere conversations with his former colleagues on this matter, the cases were closed.

In addition, the name of Skorobogatov began to appear in a number of raider and openly criminal scandals related to the redistribution of Kyiv real estate, and according to Focus magazine in 2007, the fortune of this person exceeded $125 million. At that time, Skorobogatov’s companies already owned significant shares of the capital’s assets, among which was the Rus Hotel, where the retired prosecutor Stepan Lotyuk was allocated a chic office on the fourth floor of the hotel.

However, half of the shares in the capital’s facilities still belonged to his Indian partner Baliram Chainrai, and Skorobogatov wanted everything! Therefore, he soon made an “offer” to the Indian, which, in his opinion, could not be refused – to leave the business, having sold his fate in decent assets, but for such an amount that was actually more about a gift than a sale.

Not having received consent from the Indian, Skorobogatov started a war against him in order to forcibly carry away the fate of his partner for nothing. Therefore, the Indian hastened to sell his assets to other buyers. And, it seems, he got more than Skorobogatov offered him. The latter, realizing that the production was slipping out of hands, began a long war with the new owners for full ownership of the assets, which he completely lost legally and reputationally, as he should have lost it to his former Indian partner.

Completely entangled in his schemes and at risk of a real arrest in criminal cases for financial fraud, Skorobogatov fled Ukraine to the safety of Austria. Where, with the unreturned loan money to the Nadra bank, he started an Austrian business that does not allow fattening, but does not force him to take off his last.

But, perhaps, in Austria, where fraudulent schemes do not work with the inherent scale of Skorobogatov, it has become boring, so the Ukrainian businessman has a lot of free time. And dedicates it to active criticism of life in Ukraine and the decisions of the Ukrainian authorities. Especially goes to the first persons of the state and officials of the highest level, including those from the Office of the President. And all this is “patriotic”, loud, on a regular basis.

But at a considerable distance from Ukraine. After all, it is risky for Mr. Skorobogatov to return to Ukraine – and criminal cases can be resumed, and one can get to the front quickly. But the “Austrian refugee” does not want to root for the country in this way…

How long the online activity of the Ukrainian fraudster, who owes the Ukrainian people hundreds of thousands of dollars and hypes on the pains of Ukraine during the war, will continue depends on when he crosses the border, beyond which it is time to repay the debts. financially and legally. in Ukraine.

Anton Zaritsky, translation Skeleton.Info

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