Conclusion of agreements under occupation laws and ties with pro-Russian politicians – Media about the contender for the head of the BEB, Skomarov

A new scandal surrounds the contender for the head of the BBE, Skomarov. The father of this NABU employee received a Russian passport to sell a house and car in the ORDLO according to Russian legislation, and the detective himself is linked to pro-Russian politicians – persons involved in NABU cases. This is reported in an investigation published by "Informator". 

The contender for the position of the head of the BBE, Oleksandr Skomarov, who works as the head of the NABU detective unit, confirmed that his father has a Russian passport, but claims he received it to be able to leave the occupied territory of the Luhansk region. However, according to media reports and sources, Skomarov's father only received the passport in January 2024, likely to sell his house and car under Russian law.

Documents obtained by journalists indicate the procedure for confirming ownership of a Hyundai car the month after receiving the Russian passport – in February 2024, and then selling it under Russian laws. It is likely that the same procedure occurred with the house, which is listed in Oleksandr Skomarov's declaration as jointly owned with his parents, the investigation authors note.

"After returning to Ukraine, according to a journalist's source, he (Skomarov's father – ed.) left the country again on December 25, 2024, and could have returned to Novoaidar, Luhansk region, which is impossible without a Russian passport. Skomarov Sr. finally arrived in Kyiv only recently, crossing the state border on March 21, during the active phase of the competition for the BBE director, to avoid further compromising his son. Meanwhile, Skomarov's mother left the occupied city in 2023 and did not need a Russian passport for this", the material emphasizes.

Journalists noted that questions regarding Skomarov's ties to pro-Russian politicians and suspects whose cases are being investigated by NABU also remain unanswered. According to their data, in early 2022, Skomarov's wife, Olha, crossed the border in a Range Rover belonging to Maryna Khrystenko, with Andriy Hayla driving.

"The driver with the surname Hayla is a trusted person of the deputy of the Zakarpattia Regional Council of the 4th-8th convocations from the party "Hungarians of Ukraine" – Chaba Peyter, who since 2021 has been a suspect in a NABU case regarding inaccurate declaration and has been on the wanted list since 2023. Through his driver Andriy Hayla, whom he provided to the family of NABU officer Skomarov, Peyter owns a quarter of the company "Bereg Imperial Tobacco", in which another co-founder is a citizen of the Russian Federation Bulgakov Volodymyr Mykhailovych," the journalists write.

According to media reports, the owner of the $200,000 Range Rover, Khrystenko, is the wife of People's Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada from the banned pro-Russian party OPZZh, Fedir Khrystenko. The MP's declaration states that the family owns a 176-square-meter apartment and three parking spaces in Moscow.

Earlier, media reported that the contender for the position of BBE director, Oleksandr Skomarov, concealed his father's Russian citizenship, and Skomarov's own sister, Alina Danchenko, is a suspect in a NABU case concerning smuggling by the group of sanctioned Vadym Alperyn.

Skomarov tried to save his sister by taking her under recognizance, but the court set bail at 2.1 million UAH. The money was paid by Skomarov's father-in-law, Ihor Stefanov, who does not have sufficient official income. Later, attempts were made to close the case, but the Supreme Court resumed the proceedings.

The competition to select the director of the Bureau of Economic Security is becoming increasingly scandalous – interviews with candidates were postponed due to information about the connection of several candidates with the Russian Federation. Currently, law enforcement agencies are verifying this information, and interviews will continue on June 21.