The mayor of Kharkiv, Igor Terekhov, owns the largest chain of tobacco shops called “Kiset” in the city. The shops have not made any agreements with the “Modern City” enterprise and do not contribute to the city's budget. Meanwhile, the mayor has ordered the demolition of hundreds of retail outlets that could not afford the full rent during the war. This information was reported in an article by “Comments. Kharkiv” published by Bagnet under the title “Mayor Terekhov and the Kiset tobacco empire.”
The article points out that the recent decisions made by the Executive Committee of the City Council to demolish over 100 kiosks did not include any kiosks from the Kiset trading network.
The publication describes “Kiset” as the largest retail trade network in Kharkiv with over 500 retail outlets. Although the main product in Kiset stores is cigarettes, the kiosks have transformed into mini-markets with a wide range of products including alcohol and drinks.
According to Sovremenny Gorod KP, the Kiset retail chain has not made any agreements or payments with the utility company for the use of places to put its MAFs. In previous years, “Kiset” did not have any contracts or payments with “Modern City.”
The journalists note that the Kiset retail chain causes a monthly damage of UAH 2 million to the city budget, which adds up to UAH 24 million per year, and a total of UAH 96 million since 2018. They emphasize that this significant amount could have been used for funding medical and social programs, urban transport, and housing services.
The company is directly associated with Mayor Igor Terekhov, as it has been the subject of journalistic investigations, including those by «Bihus.info.»
According to journalistic investigations, Elena Vinnik, the former wife of Igor Terekhov, is listed as one of the four beneficiaries of Kiset LLC.
The publication highlights that the mayor, like many Ukrainian officials, prefers to register a business for their relatives. In the case of Elena Vinnik, Terekhov acted particularly prudently by divorcing her in 2014 before the electronic declaration law came into force, which requires officials to declare the property of their relatives. This allows Terekhov to seemingly have no connection to Kiset, while still controlling the business registered in his ex-wife's name. The publication concludes that Terekhov not only uses his official position for personal gain, but also demonstrates a high level of hypocrisy and cynicism by taking advantage of Kharkiv residents affected by the war.
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