13:17 14.05.2021

Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko says searches at capital municipal enterprises as 'special operation' against him, the local government

3 min read
Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko says searches at capital municipal enterprises as 'special operation' against him, the local government

KYIV. May 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko at an online briefing on Friday criticized searches of municipal enterprises by law-enforcement authorities.

 "It's funny to hear that, they say, there is no politics. It's just a big special operation. So, a special operation! This is one against me, personally. And the targets were city enterprises and administration units. I will say one thing: this is a dirty political struggle and an attempt to tighten the screws for local self-government," Klitschko said.

"I believe that those who planned this attack should return to the legal track. And stop destabilizing the situation in the capital. We need to work, implement planned projects, changes in Kyiv, and not put on a show," the mayor added.

According to him, the initiators of dozens of searches at key utilities and city administration departments have justified them under the guise of fighting corruption, while manipulating information and lying.

"I will say one thing: the authorities always cooperate with law enforcement agencies and help in the investigation of cases of financial violations. The Kyiv City State Administration constantly carries out internal financial audits and submits materials on revealed violations to law enforcement officers," the mayor said.

Klitschko said the Department of Internal Financial Control and Audit of the Kyiv City State Administration has performed 385 inspections since 2015 and transferred materials on 316 audit objects to law enforcement officers. According to him, at present, 168 criminal proceedings have been registered on these materials, or they have been attached to previously opened criminal cases. Law enforcers prepared 52 reports of suspicion, and for 27 criminal proceedings they brought indictments to court.

"Of those supposedly high-profile cases that are being discussed today, some concern contractors. They say that they did not pay taxes. Let me emphasize the following: city enterprises paid taxes! What are questions to the city?! On some cases, the city transferred materials two years ago. For example, on Department of Social Policy, and some utilities have already twice provided documents at the request of law enforcement officers who have now come to look for documents again! Well, it's all sewn with white thread," he said.

As reported, in the framework of the investigation into the misappropriation of funds allocated for the reconstruction of the tram line in Kyiv's Desnianskiy district on May 13, searches took place in the premises of the Kyiv enterprise Kyivpastrans and its subcontractor.

In addition, the Kyiv Prosecutor's Office, together with the Metropolitan Department of the State Fiscal Service, conducted a search in the office building of the Kyiv Metro in the framework of a tax evasion case during the construction of a metro line to the Vinohradar residential area.

In addition, investigative measures took place at Kyivhorsvet and contracting enterprises within the framework of criminal proceedings initiated on the fact of deliberate tax evasion during the work on replacing lighting in the capital in the amount of more than UAH 12 million.

Searches also took place in the Kyiv enterprises Kyivzelenstroy, Spetszhilfond, Kyivavtodor, Kyivavtodormost and the Kyiv Institute of Land Relations.

 

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