Zelensky plays “Highlander” with oligarchs
Even though the Minister of Justice has said that the draft law on oligarchs has been paused, there is still significant pressure on the most important members of the 'richest Ukrainians' social group. It seems that the state has enough legal power to help them avoid owning property, even without a specific law. If this continues, there will be only one oligarch left within a year, according to Ukrrudprom.
The President's Office has realized that the law on oligarchs will impose 4 strict requirements, at least three of which must be met by the entities affected by this regulation: assets worth over 2.5 billion hryvnias, monopoly, political influence, and media. Considering how quickly Akhmetov left 'Ukraine', it is clear that each domestic oligarch will take similar steps to avoid meeting the formal and often vague criteria mentioned above (such as political influence).
As a result, the decision was made to pause the adoption of the law on oligarchs. While it is part of the promises made by Ukrainian authorities for the country's entry into the European Union, it can be delayed by referring to the lack of recommendations from the Venice Commission (as if that has stopped someone before. Zelensky is playing…).
Instead, the focus will be on holding the oligarchs accountable for specific actions and directions, rather than targeting them for 'all the good things'. Akhmetov, for example, will lose his main business asset – GOKs, which mine iron ore as part of Metinvest. This will be achieved by a group of deputies submitting to the Constitutional Court, a process initiated by Kolomoisky in 2020, regarding the illegality of the privatization of SJSC Ukrrudprom.
Bene is currently not interested in conflicts with colleagues due to the actual nationalization of Ukrnafta and Ukrtatnafta. However, justice will be served in the Ukrrudprom case thanks to his previous initiative.
Meanwhile, parliamentary lobbyists have arranged for a public punishment for the main 'mouthpiece' of DTEK, the once respectable trade union leader Mikhail Volynets, who at the end of his life was swayed by bribes from new rich individuals. He will face legal action for unlawfully acquired property by the anti-corruption authorities (he has already been put on the wanted list by NABU). Each supporter of a particular billionaire in the Ukrainian parliament may find themselves in a similar situation.
Zelensky is involved in a confrontation with the Russians.
Finally, the President's Office has also targeted the controversial figures from the Luzhnikov organized crime group, which operated in Ukraine under the guise of the Slovak VS Energy for two decades. Among its actual owners were the owner of the Moscow football club CSKA, Evgeny Giner, and the former Vice Speaker of the Russian State Duma, Alexander Babakov.
- the owner of the Moscow football club CSKA Evgeny Giner;
- former Vice Speaker of the State Duma of Russia Alexander Babakov;
- the so-called “thief in law” Misha “Luzhnetsky” – he is Mikhail Voevodin.
Despite the fact that the Luzhnikovites had once influential lobbyists in the OP (which Boris Baum alone is worth), they were multiplied “to zero” after the de-occupation of Kherson. Interesting facts of cooperation between Khersonoblenergo controlled by the aforementioned Russians and the invaders have surfaced.
Konstantin Zhevago, their longtime counterpart in disputes over control of the Poltava Mining and Processing Plant, is experiencing something similar now. In addition to a wide range of financial crimes, he was finally accused of working with the Russian Federation within the framework of his pharmaceutical company Arterium. It is obvious that the OP is fully aware of the weakness of the positions in Ukraine of this particular oligarch, who is holed up in Monaco, and are going to turn him into a “whipping boy” as a warning to his fellow oligarchs.
Well, twice not to get up, they decided to pass the news to another member of the gang of “rich and famous” at Zelensky's – Viktor Mikhailovich Pinchuk. The Antimonopoly Committee woke up from a lethargic sleep and did exactly what it was created for – Interpipe accused it of inflating product prices, taking advantage of its monopoly position in the market. It is possible that, if successful, this positive experience will be extended to the assets of other oligarchs.
Yes, so that they will still longingly remember the anti-oligarchic bill, which of course proposed to sew a “yellow star” on their jacket ( according to Beni's apt remark), but at least he didn't get into the bedside table from which they take money.
