Ecologist Boreiko says 'criminal group' active at Kyiv zoo
Kyiv, March 16 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Director of Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center Volodymyr Boreiko has claimed that the leadership of Kyiv Zoo is still hiding facts about the deaths of animals, and plans to address the department for the fight against organized crime to find out how the funds allocated in 2010 have been used.
"All attempts by Kyiv City State Administration to bring order to the zoo via the replacement of directors… yield no results, as there is a criminal group at the zoo consisting of people from the zoo that have practical interests there," Boreiko said at a press conference in the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Tuesday.
According to him, "the same team, which worked using illegal methods that the Kyiv prosecutor's office discovered, has now returned."
Boreiko said that under a relevant resolution, UAH 50,000 was foreseen for 2010 to produce stands and sign plates in the zoo.
"But there are no plates there. The question is: where has the money gone? We will file a motion to the department for the fight against organized crime, and let the department find out where these funds have disappeared to," the ecologist said.
He also stated his center's main demands and plans: "We will turn to the department for the fight against organized crime. I have already written three letters… I also plan to address the prosecutor's office. I want to investigate and find out where the money allocated under the resolution disappeared. I support [deputy of Kyiv Council Oleksandr] Bryhynets and ask that he persuade [secretary of Kyiv Council Oles] Dovhy to resume the activity of Kyiv City Council's deputy commission on the activity of Kyiv Zoo. I’m calling for the dismissal of the head of the zoo press center, the so-called zoo protector, Anzhelika Komarova…"
The ecologist pointed out that over the last four months after the replacement of the zoo director, there were no reports of the death of animals, and only recently new information has been released.
"At first the zoo announced the death of 36 animals [in the last few months], but yesterday [on March 14] a figure of 50 was released at a press conference," Boreiko said.