Klitschko suspends his deputy Prokopiv after second part of journalists' investigation

Kyiv mayor and head of the KCSA Vitali Klitschko announced the suspension of his deputy Volodymyr Prokopiv from his duties following a journalist investigation, UNN reports.    

Details

"I appeal to law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies to verify the facts presented by Bihus.Info investigative journalists regarding KCSA Deputy Head Volodymyr Prokopiv. And also, for the duration of the inspection, for the sake of its objectivity, I suspend Prokopiv from performing his duties as deputy head of the KCSA with self-governing powers," Klitschko wrote on his Telegram channel.

Context

Last week, a Bihus.Info investigation noted that relatives of Volodymyr Prokopiv, the deputy mayor of Kyiv, have acquired numerous properties during his tenure at the Kyiv City Council and KCSA. The acquisitions include apartments, offices and commercial premises in prestigious areas of the capital.

Yesterday, on October 21, Bihus.Info released the second part of the investigation, which indicates that two friends of KCSA Deputy Head Volodymyr Prokopiv have acquired at least six real estate properties that previously belonged to the city through private companies.

In particular, the investigation indicates that Oleksandr Poshtariuk, a fellow Ivano-Frankivsk resident, worked for many years as an employee in the companies of the politician's wife and father-in-law. At the same time, he helped Prokopiv's family with real estate and cars. In 2016, he sold the politician's Mercedes Benz GLK 220 CDI 4 MATIC at half the market price. A few years later, in 2018, he helped Prokopiv become the owner of a 600-square-meter estate in the Konik cottage community. Poshtariuk allegedly built it at his own expense, although according to journalists, he did not have commensurate income.

According to the investigation, Poshtariuk gave the completed but not yet renovated mansion to Prokopiv, while the politician gave his old, 5 times smaller house on the outskirts of Kyiv to his friend for a small surcharge. While the estate was being completed, Prokopiv lived in a neighboring house, which Poshtariuk also bought. Officially, Prokopiv rented it, but he didn't even pay the rent for a long time.

Another friend of Prokopiv is Andriy Stetsenko. Since 2018, his wife has been working in the Kyiv City Council, specifically in the Secretariat, which Prokopiv used to head. The Stetsenko's, like Prokopiv and Poshtariuk, are from Ivano-Frankivsk, and after moving to Kyiv, they rented an apartment from Prokopiv's father-in-law's company for many years. And Stetsenko registered his sole proprietorship and still keeps it in Poshtariuk's apartment, according to the investigation.

According to the investigation, Stetsenko helped the Prokopyvs to acquire elite real estate for a pittance. First, he invested in the construction of the Signature residential complex on his own behalf, purchasing an apartment under unclear circumstances at a price four times lower than the market price, and then sold the rights to the apartment to Prokopiv's wife's company for the same price. Currently, Signature is the most expensive residential complex in Kyiv.