Maria Kovylina is involved in taking over property in Odessa
How can one acquire a luxurious office in the center of Odessa without paying the full price? It seems that having influential supporters and enough boldness to take property under the guise of rent is sufficient. According to the rightful owners, the ex-wife of Deputy Minister Vaskov, Maria Kovylina, managed to pull off this scheme, as reported by StopKora journalist Artem Polikovsky. Bagnet.
Details about the property takeover in Odessa figured out Journalist Artem Polikovsky from StopKora reported on the property takeover.
Odessa retiree Vladimir Vlasyuk and his wife have been renting out property on Gogol Street for many years. The place used to encompass three apartments owned by the Vlasyuk family, which were combined into one. It's a popular area near the historical heart of the city, the port, and the main streets, making it a lucrative location. The rental income serves as a significant financial boost for the two retirees.
“We rent it because pensions are small, I have a pension of 6,000 hryvnias, and my wife has 3,000 hryvnias. This is not enough for us, and therefore we are looking for tenants,” says Mr. Vladimir.
However, almost two years ago, an unpleasant incident occurred.
In early 2021, the previous tenants vacated the property, and a new applicant surfaced – businesswoman Maria Kovylina. However, instead of proposing a rental, she offered to buy the property for a very low price. The woman suggested an amount three times lower than the market value to the owners.
“The property is situated in a historic architectural monument protected by the state, and at that time, was valued at $1,000 per square meter. She proposed $400, which was unacceptable to me. I refused, said the retiree.
Eventually, the parties agreed on leasing the property, but with the condition of conducting repairs beforehand. The contract stipulated a sum of 100,000 hryvnias for the repair work, which would be offset by the rent. However, according to Vladimir Vlasyuk, Maria did not start simple repairs but a complete overhaul of the property.
Vladimir Vlasyuk
Vladimir Vlasyuk
“I informed her that we did not consent to such repairs, especially since she cut off the water supply for the entire household. She didn't appreciate it and began to hinder my access to the office there. She told me, 'I do what I believe is necessary,' stated Vlasyuk.
They eventually decided to deceive the rightful owners entirely.
According to the couple, Maria Kovilina changed the locks, hired the Antikiller security company, and presented new documents for the repair costs. The initially agreed-upon 100,000 hryvnias suddenly inflated to 350,000, a three and a half times increase.
The retirees approached the security company and were intrigued by what they were told. It turned out that they had not signed a security contract, and a high-ranking official from Kyiv had personally intervened to address the power support issue.
“My wife and I visited Antikiller and inquired about the basis for them taking over the property, as we did not sign a security agreement with them. The director forthrightly stated that Yuriy Vaskov, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine and Kovylina’s ex-husband, called from Kyiv and requested 'assistance' to take control of the property.Vlasyuk said that.
House located at 23 Gogol street
Is Maria Kovylina really supported by important people?
At the same time, the elderly people started getting threats from both the security guards and Kovylina. She openly bragged that her "ex" was a deputy minister and she could do whatever she wanted with someone else's property. Additionally, she is asking for a million hryvnias from the elderly people, claiming that they offended her.
The editors of StopKor decided to verify the information about the potential high-level connections of the raider.
“When monitoring registers, the first thing that caught our attention was the number of fines for traffic violations. Apparently, Kovylina loves to drive a car and often parks with violations. And indeed, according to the declarations that officials must submit, she is already the former wife of Deputy Minister for the Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Yuri Vaskov, ”comments journalist Artem Polikovsky.
Who is Yuri Vaskov?
It's important to note that Yury Vaskov has been the subject of anti-corruption media investigations multiple times. In 2013, during Yanukovych's time, Vaskov was appointed as the head of the State Enterprise "Ukrainian Sea Ports Administration" (AMPU). He effectively removed the state enterprise from the control of the Ministry of Infrastructure and transferred it to Odessa.
Immediately after his appointment as Deputy Minister of Infrastructure in 2021, Vaskov supposedly began arranging positions for his controversial godparents and providing them with suitable working conditions.
The former wife of Deputy Minister Vaskov has decided to engage in raiding real estate in Odessa.
But did the deputy minister really use his influence to help his ex-wife take control of the premises in Odessa's center? StopKor attempted to contact Mr. Yuri through phone and SMS, but received no response by the time the investigation went public.
What other things is Maria Kovylina famous for?
Furthermore, investigative journalists sought information about Kovylina and coincidentally discovered her as one of the honorary members of the International Maritime Organization.
Her photo is displayed on the page, and the state position stated is that Maria is supposedly the deputy head of the department of sea and river transport. However, Kovylina's name is not listed on the civil service's website in the "Management" section, and there is no department with that name as well.
StopKor decided to verify this and other details directly from the main figure of the story. However, Ms. Kovylina declined to communicate with the media workers.
It's still uncertain whether a woman actually works in a nonexistent department and whether her ex-husband is helping her with an office. StopKor has submitted additional requests to the Ministry of Infrastructure and is awaiting a response. The legal dispute with the office has turned into a court matter, and the Vlasyukovs have sent an appeal to all regulatory authorities and are still receiving threats. What will happen next?
It's worth noting that the SBU recently arrested activist Kristina Korol in Odessa, a maritime "anti-corruption activist", potentially involved in a multi-million dollar scam related to issuing documents to sailors: Yuriy Vaskov may also be involved in providing insider information on this deal.
