Acting head of state-run Odesa Orion asks Saakashvili to help unblock seized plant
KYIV. June 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Acting Board Chairman of state-run public joint-stock company Orion Machine-Building Production Association (Odesa) Volodymyr Barabanov has asked the newly appointed head of Odesa Regional Administration Mikheil Saakashvili to intervene after the company was seized by armed persons in April 2015 without any reaction from the local authorities and law-enforcement agencies.
Barabanov said at a press conference held at Interfax-Ukraine on June 5 that armed persons prevented him from entering the company premises, and have presented themselves as Self-Defense of Odesa, affiliated with the previous board chairman Mykola Kuschak who headed the board since 2000. Barabanov said that under Kuschak’s tenure, the profit-making company became loss-making and the most scandalous company in Ukraine.
"The enterprise has not been operating for a long period of time. The company leases premises, and it's unknown where the money goes to. Neither taxes nor payments to the Pension Fund, other payments are paid," he said.
He said Orion was withdrawn from the list of strategic companies in 2014 and is now included in the list of companies that can be sold by the State Property Fund of Ukraine.
"Today we cannot enter the company to conduct a full stocktaking of assets. Despite many addresses to the Ukrainian president, prime minister and parliamentary speaker, law-enforcement agencies and other power agencies, the situation is still unsettled. No measures are taken to influence the frankly criminal actions of the armed group," Barabanov said.
He added all addresses to the central authorities were finally forwarded back to Odesa after no action was taken.
Lawyer of Orion Ihor Kravchenko said the situation at the plant was similar to the scandal surrounding Ukrtransnafta. He drew attention to the fact that the previous head of Odesa Regional Administration was a close business partner of Ihor Kolomoisky – Ihor Palytsia, while the actions of Odesa Self-Defense is coordinated by People's Front MP Andriy Levus, who promised to unblock the company.
Another lawyer of the company, Oleh Korotych, said Kuschak was detained by law-enforcement agents in 2014 while he was removing equipment from the plant to use it as scrap metal, and criminal proceedings were opened against him, while in July 2014 the supervisory board (the majority of which represents the State Property Fund of Ukraine) appointed Barabanov as acting board chairman.
He said that in October 2014 the contract with Kuschak expired, while thanks to armed groups he has access to the plant premises, while Barabanov does not have the ability to enter the plant.
"Now we're preparing for a meeting of shareholders, but we're sure that Kuschak will try to sabotage it," Barabanov said.
Orion Machine-Building Production Association was once a large producer of compressors for refrigerators and other types of equipment.