MP-bribe taker Andriy Odarchenko removed from the post of head of the Academic Council of the State Biotechnological University
Kyiv • UNN
People's Deputy Andriy Odarchenko has been suspended from his duties as head of the Academic Council of the State Biotechnological University. It should be noted that Andriy Odarchenko still has a valid contract with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, despite the court's guilty verdict.
People's Deputy Andriy Odarchenko, convicted of bribery, has been suspended from his duties as head of the Academic Council of the State Biotechnological University. The corresponding decision was made during a meeting of the Academic Council on October 30, UNN reports.
Details
The Academic Council of the State Biotechnological University removed from office its head – People's Deputy, fugitive bribe-taker Andriy Odarchenko, who had headed it four years ago. The Academic Council made this decision in response to a statement by the fugitive MP Odarchenko, which he sent to his deputy Valeriy Mykhailov. Thus, until the election of a new head of the Academic Council of the university, Valeriy Mykhailov will temporarily perform the duties of the head.
It should be noted that Andriy Odarchenko still has a valid contract with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, despite the court's guilty verdict. That is, the bribe-taking MP still holds the position of rector of SBTU.
Recall
Earlier, the press service of the Appellate Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court reported that the panel of judges upheld the verdict against Andriy Odarchenko, which found him guilty of attempting to give a bribe of $50,000 in cryptocurrency to the then head of the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine, Mustafa Nayyem. Odarchenko was sentenced to 8 years in prison with confiscation of property and deprivation of the right to hold a number of positions for three years. The corresponding ruling was published in the Unified Register of Court Decisions.
As a result of the review, the panel of judges left the appeals of the parties unsatisfied, and the verdict of the HACC – unchanged. The decision entered into force from the moment of its pronouncement
Despite this, SBTU claims that they have not received an official document about the verdict. This position seems at least questionable, because, according to the law, a copy of the court decision should have been sent to acting rector Andriy Kudryashov for execution. After receiving the verdict, the university's management was obliged to initiate the termination of the contract with the convicted official no later than three days. Failure to fulfill this obligation may indicate sabotage of the court decision, which falls under the signs of criminal liability.
Moreover, according to UNN sources, the current acting rector of the State Biotechnological University, Andriy Kudryashov, remains a controlled figure of the fugitive bribe-taker Andriy Odarchenko, through whom the latter still influences the management of the university and the financial flows of the educational institution.
As the UNN editorial office found out, Kudryashov was part of Odarchenko's close circle even during his leadership of the university and was among those who posted bail for the MP after his arrest in the NABU case – UAH 399,000 out of the UAH 15 million determined by the court. This allowed the bribe-taker to temporarily get out of custody and later flee abroad.
Despite Odarchenko's заочний arrest and his loss of any legal grounds to influence the university, Kudryashov may continue to carry out his instructions, effectively ensuring remote control of SBTU. As UNN sources reported, the acting rector regularly travels abroad, presumably for personal meetings with Odarchenko, who may currently be in Hungary.
UNN journalists also found that under the leadership of Odarchenko and his appointees at SBTU, schemes for embezzling state property and funds are flourishing. In particular, this refers to the illegal appropriation of university lands, their rental "in the shadows," and understating harvest volumes to cash out profits. According to preliminary estimates, Odarchenko's team could have pocketed over UAH 100 million from "land deals" alone.
Meanwhile, according to UNN, the Ministry of Education and Science is preparing a decision on personnel changes in the university's leadership, but there is no final approval yet. Among the candidates for the new rector's position is Yevhen Hrytskov – an official with a dubious pro-Russian reputation and a past in the "Opposition Bloc," who is also associated with Odarchenko.
Thus, despite the official suspension of Andriy Odarchenko from his duties as head of the Academic Council, his shadow influence on the university continues to determine key personnel and financial processes at SBTU. And now the state, in the person of the Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi, faces the main task – to eradicate Odarchenko's influence on SBTU and prevent people associated with the fugitive bribe-taker from holding leadership positions.