Three quarters of UAH 200 million for ambulances for Kyiv citizens have been paid by Kyivmedspecialtrans to Fistal – Avtospetsprom Ltd.
Kyivmedspecialtrans municipal organization has made the biggest purchase of ambulances in the past seven years. This time it will add 68 ambulances to its fleet, which is the biggest purchase since 2015. This procurement is also special because it is the first time KyivmetspetsTrans, taking advantage of procurement conditions during martial law, has chosen its suppliers without tenders. 14 ambulances for 56.7 million UAH will be supplied by Ksenko Avto Production Ltd. in Kyiv, and 54 vehicles for 143 million UAH by Avtospetsprom Ltd. which is mentioned in several criminal cases and belongs to the family of Emil Fistal (Donetsk surgeon who cooperates with the authorities in the so-called DNR and conducts scientific research in Russia.
As KC learned from ProZorro electronic system announcements, on 2 November 2022, KO Kyivmedspetstrans (*) signed two contracts for supply of type B and C ambulances with equipment. The price of the two contracts amounted to UAH 199.88m.
The first contract (price – UAH 143.1m) was signed with Avtospetsprom Ltd (**) for supply of 54 Citroen Jumper-based type B ambulances at UAH 2.65m per unit. Each car must be equipped, in particular, with equipment for transporting various categories of patients, stationary and portable oxygen cylinder, blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter, glucometer, defibrillator, electrocardiograph, refrigerator for storing medicines and ice. Each ambulance must also have a searchlight, warning lights, fire extinguisher, internal communication system between driver and patient compartment, video recorder, navigator and GPS tracker.
The second contract (price – 56.7 million UAH) was signed by КО “Kyivmedspetstrans” with LLC “Xenko Auto Production” (***), which will deliver 14 “Reanimobil” type C ambulances based on Volkswagen Crafter with equipment (9 cars at UAH 3.92 million and 4 – UAH 4.3 million). These “fast cars” in addition to type B vehicles must be equipped with vehicles with artificial lung ventilation and capnographs (a device for measuring the level of carbon dioxide in exhaled air stream).
In both contracts, the vehicles should be delivered before December 15, 2022, to 16-B, Kurenevska Str. (office of CMO Kyivmedspetstrans).
Both purchases were made without competitive bidding, referring to the Cabinet of Ministers’ directive of February 28, 2022, No. 169 on defense procurement of goods, works and services in wartime conditions.
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It should be noted, a month earlier the КО Kyivmedspetstrans planned to purchase ambulances via public auction. In particular, on October 4, 2022, CE Kyivmedspetstrans announced a tender for supplying 44 B-type ambulances with equipment, and 13 C-type ambulances. The expected cost of the purchase was UAH 200m. However, the tender was cancelled at the end of October due to “no further need for the procurement of goods, works and services”.
What is interesting, the current purchase of ambulances by CM Kyivmedspetstrans is the largest since the existence of the ProZorro system (since 2015), through which this communal organisation has purchased a total of 106 ambulances for UAH 442.92 million (with current contracts). In 2018, 24 B-type ambulances were procured, of which 12 were supplied by Avtospetsprom Ltd, the remaining 12 by Vidi Unicomers Ltd (****). The most fruitful year for ambulance procurement was 2019, during which 64 ambulances were purchased for the capital, of which 50 (39 type B, 7 type C and 4 type C neonatal) were supplied by Avtospetsprom Ltd. and another 14 by Vidi Unikomers Ltd. There was no procurement of ambulances in 2020.
The most recent time KO Kyivmedspectrans purchased a group of ambulances was one year ago. They made a deal with Ksenko Auto Production LLC for 18 VW Crafter-based type B vehicles for UAH 44.46 million.
From 2018 until now, out of the N442.92m spent on ambulances, N282.63m went to Avtospetsprom Ltd, N101.24m to Ksenko Auto Production Ltd, and N59.05m to Vidi Unicomers Ltd.
These companies competed in tenders, with only two auctions having other participants. Spets Kom-Servis LLC offered a higher price, and Briorson Motors LLC's offer was rejected. Briorson Motors LLC repeatedly complained that the tender requirements favored only certain companies.
According to the Youcontrol analytical system, Avtospetsprom LLC was registered in 2012 in the village of Petropavlivska Borshchagivka in Kiev Region. It primarily produces motor vehicles. The founders are Emil Vladimirovich and Artem Vladimirovich Fistali, and the ultimate beneficiaries are Herman, Artem, and Svetlana Fistali. The director is Svetlana Kurchenko.
Svetlana Kurchenko is the director of Artonika LLC, also registered in Petropavlivska Borschagivka, which is one of the favored contractors of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA) Health Department. During the conflict with Russia, this company received orders worth UAH 100.1 million from the department to supply consumables for haemodialysis.
Youcontrol links Avtospetsprom Ltd to the Fistalov brothers Vladimir and Herman Fistalov group. Their father, Emil Yakovlevich Fistal, is a prominent Donetsk surgeon who remained in the temporarily occupied territory. In 2017, Emil Fistal was recognized as “Man of the Year” in the territory controlled by the so-called “DPR”. Based on his Facebook page, Emil Fistal supports the local “authorities” and conducts his scientific activities in Russia.
Avtospetsprom Ltd has received 227 orders worth UAH 4.94bn from its involvement in public procurements. KO Kyivmedspetstrans is one of its biggest clients and signed 6 contracts worth 282.63 million hryvnias.
Avtospetsprom Ltd is involved in several criminal proceedings for suspected embezzlement and misappropriation of property through abuse of office. In one specific case, in 2019, they supplied ambulances to the Ternopil Regional Council’s Property Complex Operation Department, which were discovered to lack air conditioning and fuel heaters.
In another criminal proceeding (No. 42022110000000044) Avtospetsprom Ltd. is suspected, among other enterprises, of being involved in a scheme by the head of the National Cancer Institute to purchase medical equipment for public funds, leading to the misappropriation of budget funds. And within the framework of proceeding No 420211000000028 law enforcers find out circumstances of Avtospetsprom Ltd tax evasion on especially large scale while supplying medical products to health care institutions in Kyiv and other regions.
Xenko Auto Production Ltd was established in 2020 in Kiev with a registered capital of 200 thousand hryvnias. Its primary business is motor vehicle production. The founders are Valeriy Vidasov (ultimate beneficiary), Alexander Cherkashin, and Alexander Kucheryavin (manager). Kucheriavin was the director of Vidi Unicomers Ltd from 2008 to 2020.
Ksenko Auto Production Ltd has concluded 47 contracts worth UAH 609.68 million as a result of its participation in public procurements. KO Kyivmedspetstrans is one of its largest clients with their current and 2021 contracts.
Vidi Unikomers LLC was registered in 2008 in Kiev, and since 2010 has its registered address in the village of Sofievskaya Borschagivka, Kiev Oblast. The share capital of the company is UAH 8.39m. Its core business is trade of cars and motor vehicles. The founders are Vidi Group LLC and Vidi Alley LLC. The ultimate beneficiary is Vitaliy Dzhurinsky, the director is Oleg Lyubchenko.
ViDi Unicomers LLC is part of the ViDi Group of Oleg and Vitaly Dzhurinskiy. The group includes car dealerships in Kyiv, Odessa and Boryspil, logistics companies, real estate development business, insurance and leasing companies.
Vidi Unikomers Ltd is also an active participant of public procurement, which resulted in 95 contracts for UAH 1,22 billion. The largest customer is Oshadbank JSC, which has given 6 orders for 657 million hryvnias to the Ltd. KO Kyivmedspetstrans is also among the biggest clients, having signed 6 contracts for almost 61.5 million UAH.
КО Kyivmedspetstrans was founded by Kyiv City Council in 1994. The head of the company is Vitaliy Beznosyuk (right on the collage). “Kyivmedspetstrans provides round-the-clock services to 22 departments of the Emergency Medical Services Centre and health care institutions of the capital.
Earlier, the KV reported that the National Police is investigating a criminal case involving the management of the Kievmedspetstrans company over possible embezzlement and embezzlement of budget funds. Law enforcers found that in 2017-2018 the company signed contracts for the supply of various goods with a number of firms. But, as it turned out, many of them had signs of fictitiousness: their managers knew nothing about the activities of their companies and claimed that they did not sell anything to Kyivmedspetstrans.
The Kyivmedspecialtrans CO is subordinate to the Office of the Kyiv City State Administration, headed by Dmytro Zahumennyi (left in the collage). The activities of the Kyiv City State Administration apparatus are directed, coordinated and controlled by First Deputy Head of Kyiv City State Administration Mykola Povoroznyk.
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* KO “Kyivmedspetstrans” (USREOU code: 01993807)
** Avtospetsprom LLC (USREOU code: 38183310)
*** “Xenko Auto Production” LLC (USREOU code: 43516374)
**** “Vidi Unicomers” LLC (USREOU code: 31778059)
