Shukher in Zaporozhye: the leadership of the local “Samopomich” was arrested, and the vice-mayor fled to the DPR
Today in Zaporozhye, massive searches are being carried out in the homes of local high-ranking officials. Investigative actions are carried out within the framework of criminal proceedings under the articles “Appropriation, embezzlement of property or taking possession of it through abuse of official position” and “Taking a bribe”, as well as on suspicion of financing the DPR. In particular, searches took place at the deputy head of the Zaporozhye regional council Vladislav Marchenko and his brother Mark. At the same time, the first one was charged with corruption and conflict of interest back in March of this year.
Investigative actions are also underway against the deputy mayor of Zaporozhye, Anatoly Pustovarov, who has previously appeared in several scandalous stories, in particular, abuse of power during tender procurement in the medical field.
As a result of the searches, local officials from the Samopomish party were detained, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
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Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko stated this.
"The case concerns a regional council member and his brother, who, through their influence over officials, organized fictitious tenders for the improvement of a park (2,7 million hryvnia) and school sports grounds (84 million hryvnia) with a predetermined winner," Lutsenko wrote on his Facebook page.
The Prosecutor General clarified that the suspected organizer of the scheme is Deputy Chairman of the Zaporozhye Regional Council Vladislav Marchenko, representing the Samopomich party.
“Another fan of the slogan “Take it and do it,” the chairman of the city party organization, was engaged in transferring money into cash,” Lutsenko added.
According to investigators, Marchenko and his brother lobbied for their companies through connections with Anatoly Pustovarov, a former Opposition Bloc member and deputy mayor of Zaporizhzhia. According to the local publication "Aktualno," Pustovarov fled from law enforcement today for the DPR-controlled city of Horlivka. According to Lutsenko, the Opposition Bloc member "escaped through a window and ran away in slippers through the snow."
Lutsenko called on law enforcement officers to immediately investigate this incident and evaluate the arrests made.
The Samopomich party confirmed the facts of the arrests of its fellow party members.
“The head of the Zaporozhye regional organization “Samopomich” Vlad Marchenko and the head of the city faction in Zaporozhye Daria Tryukhan have just been arrested,” said the head of the “Samopomich” faction Oleg Berezyuk at a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada.
Turmoil in Zaporizhzhia: Local Self-Reliance Leadership Arrested, Vice-Mayor Flees to DPR