November 26 November 2007
Avakov Arsen. DOSSIER
The head of the Kharkiv regional government administration is owed a special credit of trust from the Yushchenko family. This bad guy has a marriage with Peter Yushchenko, whose son Yaroslav is Avakov’s lowly protector.
The head of the Kharkov regional state administration enjoys a special credit of trust from the Yushchenko family. He has a good relationship with Peter Yushchenko, whose son Yaroslav is Avakov's current deputy.
Arsen Avakov is one of the few governors who have managed to retain their position since February 2005.
Ambition
Avakov says that he has long established himself in this world: “I have everything: I have enough money and honor, but I don’t need fame. I took this position only because, having said “a,” I had to say “b,” and here it was no longer possible to remain on the sidelines” (“Glavred,” August 12, 2005).
When asked what he will do after the president dismisses him from the post of chairman of the Kharkov regional state administration, Arsen Borisovich answers: “Positions do not last forever, and the president will certainly someday decide on my resignation. Then I'll have to decide what to do next. But I’m not going to resign tomorrow, so calculating options is not relevant for me now” (“Economic News”, November 27, 2006).
Biography
In 1988 he graduated from the Kharkov Polytechnic Institute named after. Lenin. Specialty - automated control systems.
He began his career as an engineer at the Kharkov Research Institute of Water Protection.
In 1990, he founded Investor JSC, where he served as president.
In 1992 he created the commercial bank "Basis".
Since 2002, he has been elected as a member of the executive committee of the Kharkov City Council.
Arsen Avakov is considered a protege of the Yushchenko family. With Peter and Yaroslav Yushchenko
In 2004 - deputy head of the Kharkov regional headquarters of Viktor Yushchenko, first deputy chairman of the Kharkov regional “National Salvation Committee”. He was one of the organizers of the Kharkov “Maidan”.
On February 4, 2005, he was appointed to the position of Chairman of the Kharkov Regional State Administration. According to the weekly Zerkalo Nedeli, Avakov’s appointment to the post of Kharkov governor was lobbied by the former mayor of Kharkov, Vladimir Shumilkin.
In addition, among those who spoke out for Arsen Borisovich are the then Secretary of State Alexander Zinchenko, Yulia Tymoshenko and Petro Yushchenko.
In 2005, in the “Top 100” of the most influential people in Ukraine, which are determined annually by the Korrespondent magazine, Arsen Avakov took 75th position.
In the summer of 2006, the Kharkov Regional Council, by a two-thirds vote, expressed no confidence in the governor. However, despite this, President Yushchenko did not dismiss him. Avakov appealed this decision of the regional council in court. On April 3, 2007, the Supreme Court of Ukraine confirmed the legitimacy of Arsen Borisovich’s tenure as head of the Kharkov Regional State Administration.
On November 1, 2006, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, due to growing wage debts, recommended that the government dismiss 5 heads of regional state administrations, and among them Arsen Avakov.
In June 2007, the name of the Kharkov governor was mentioned among those politicians who could be included in the top ten electoral list of Our Ukraine. However, Avakov refused to run, heading the Kharkiv regional election headquarters of Our Ukraine.
In the summer of 2008, Arsen Avakov said that he was offered to join the United Center party, but he refused the offer. There was also talk that the Kharkov governor might take the chair of the head of the Presidential Secretariat. However, the rumors remained rumors.
Arsen Avakov enjoyed special favor with President Yushchenko
Charity
The Kharkov governor is known for his charity. He is a co-founder of the Foundation. Marianna Avakova (the foundation is named after the deceased sister of Arsen Borisovich. - S.R.), public organization "Bridge to the Stars" (holding science fiction festivals, publishing science fiction literature). Avakov is the initiator of the organization and holding of the annual ethnic art festival “Pecheneg Field”.
In 2005, on the initiative of Avakov, the charitable organization Renaissance Charitable Foundation was founded.
Views
Arsen Avakov for:
- conducting an effective fight against corruption in Ukraine;
- to significantly increase the volume of state assistance to the livestock industry and significantly limit the import of meat at dumping prices;
- a total inventory of museum exhibits in the Kharkov region;
- early elections of the mayor of Kharkov, Kharkov city and regional councils;
- nomination of a single candidate from NUNS and BYuT in the early elections of the mayor of Kharkov;
- creation of a National Reserve on the basis of the Literary and Memorial Museum of Grigory Skovoroda in the village of Skovorodinovka, Zolochevsky district, Kharkov region.
Arsen Avakov vs:
- creating a broad coalition;
- Mayor of Kharkov Mikhail Dobkin;
- raising the fare in the Kharkov metro from 75 kopecks to 1 hryvnia.
Life slogan
Avakov says that it is very important for him to demonstrate the real results of his activities in a very short time. In his practice, he says, he is guided by a strategy of quick success.
Business Empire
As they say on the sidelines, Arsen Avakov built his business with the active support of the former Kharkov governor Yevgeny Kushnarev. Arsen Borisovich refutes this: “I did everything with my own hands and with my team and do not owe anything to the authorities (“Glavred”, August 12, 2005).
Political scientist Kost Bondarenko claims that Avakov started his business by buying vouchers and dealing with bills of exchange of enterprises.
According to the online publication proUA, Arsen Borisovich is involved in the creation of the following enterprises:
- JSC "Investor";
- JSCB "Basis";
- "7th TV channel";
- CJSC Saltovsky Bakery;
- LLC "Fifth Element";
- Radio+ LLC;
- LLC "Radio "New Wave";
- JSC "TV and Radio Company "Simon";
- LLC "Supermarket "Vostorg";
- LLC Television Agency "Novosti";
- CJSC "Department Store "Ukraine";
- Investor-Neftegaz LLC;
- SE "Investor Elite Stroy";
- LLC "Publishing House "Investor";
- CJSC "CHP-3";
- LLC JV "Ukrainian Tea Factory Ahmad Tea".
Co-owner of the football clubs "Metalist" and "Kharkov".
Arsen Avakov and members of his family are also involved in the following enterprises:
- Investor ITALIA s.r.l.;
- JLLC "Petrovskoye";
- LLC "Prosyanoye Poultry Farm";
- ASP "Olkhovatka";
- LLC "Staroverovsky poultry complex";
- Studio "Borea";
- Media Technology Research Center;
- Seversky Carbonated Drinks Plant LLC;
- "Wind" company;
- LLC Office and Warehouse Company "Pyramid";
- OJSC "Kharkov TSUM";
- Robinson and Co. LLC;
- Alpha Communications LLC.
According to Crime Ukraine, four Ukrainian gas condensate fields are being developed in the Kharkov region by enterprises controlled by Arsen Avakov. Namely - Ogultsovskoye, Narizhnyanskoye, Maryinskoye, Sakhalinskoye.
In February 2005, after being appointed to the post of Kharkov governor, Arsen Borisovich resigned as president of Investor OJSC. Now, according to him, the business is managed by his long-time friend, with whom he started doing business together, Gennady Gaevoy. “Now he is the president of the Investor company, which owns, in fact, all the controlling stakes in other companies, a bank and mass media,” says Arsen Avakov (Glavred, August 12, 2005).
Among Avakov’s business partners was once his current opponent, Gennady Kernes, who now speaks unflatteringly about Arsen Borisovich: “The whole point is that Arsen Borisovich Avakov is by nature an adventurer. I know him well enough, that’s why I say he’s an adventurer” (“Glavred”, January 18, 2007).
“Being a businessman means being able to feel, act quickly, and not be afraid. Don't be afraid to work and don't be afraid to make mistakes. And at the same time, combine all your actions with moral criteria. Business and morality are often quarrelsome neighbors. And the businessman who can reconcile them is wise. Not to adapt to each other, not to reassign them, but to oblige them to coexist harmoniously,” Arsen Avakov is sure.
Compromising evidence
Under police gunpoint
Since 1993, according to the online publication “Criminal Ukraine”, Avakov’s name has repeatedly appeared in the operational developments of the Kharkov police, he was tested for involvement in a number of serious crimes, including:
To the murder of Konovalov A.A. in 1993, deputy chairman of Investor JSC (the crime has not been solved to this day);
- theft of gas condensate on an especially large scale from the Balakleyskoye field of the State Production Enterprise “Shebelinkagazdobycha”;
- misappropriation of significant funds when selling condensate through their commercial structures - FOZT "Enterprise of the Kharkov region "Refinery", CJSC "Factory for the production of fuel additives", LLC "Investor-Neftegaz", CJSC "Investor-Atika" by significantly understating the cost of gas condensate .
Pressure on the Minister of Internal Affairs
In November 2005, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko said that Arsen Avakov was asking in an ultimatum to leave the members of his team alone.
“The other day, the chief policeman of the Kharkov region called me and said that the governor had given him an ultimatum: either he will raise the issue of changing the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the president, or we must leave alone the members of his team, among whom, by the way, there are many bribe takers... This attack Naturally, I ignored my address. All corrupt officials are equal to me, no matter what team they belong to,” said the minister (“Komsomolskaya Pravda in Ukraine,” November 1, 2005).
Arsen Borisovich denied these accusations. “I love Yuriy Lutsenko as a person, I respect him as a minister, and I will not play broken telephone with him,” he said (URA-Inform, September 12, 2005).
Lobbying the interests of JSCB Basis
Arsen Borisovich's opponents accuse him of placing all budgetary organizations for service in the Basis bank controlled by him. Avakov says that this is not so: “All budget funds are serviced by the treasury, but Basis won the tender and serves some budget funds related to part of the payment of wages, etc. Including, the city places part of the deposits that it places among banks there. I had a choice, but I decided for myself that I should not limit this bank in any way on the market due to the fact that I am related to it. Before that, he was aggressive and acted very actively, and now he acts like that, before that he was one of the leaders of the Kharkov banking world and now he is” (“Glavred,” August 11, 2005).
Illegal use of funds
In November 2006, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych announced that in the Kharkov region the amount of identified illegal misappropriations, as well as shortages of funds and material assets, exceeded UAH 120 million.
According to Avakov, KRU’s control figures included UAH 97 million. property of the Kupyansky foundry, the transfer of which from state to non-state forms of ownership took place incorrectly. “I have the same story with another plant, “valued” by KRU at 17 million,” said the governor.
Accusation of involvement in murder
In February 2008, Secretary of the Kharkov City Council Gennady Kernes accused Arsen Avakov of lobbying his own business interests, as well as of involvement in the murder. Arsen Borisovich filed a statement with the prosecutor's office to prosecute Kernes for libel.
Financial situation
In 2011, Focus magazine estimated Arsen Avakov's wealth at $282.9 million (No. 65 in the ranking of the 200 richest people in Ukraine).
In 2009, Focus magazine estimated Avakov's fortune at $57.5 million. According to the publication, over the past year he lost $327.5 million.
In 2007, Arsen Borisovich, according to the official declaration, earned just over a million hryvnia. The total income of his family members amounted to 175 thousand 897 UAH.
Avakov owns a plot of land of 12 acres, a garage, three apartments - two in Kharkov, one in Chuguev, Kharkov region.
Arsen Avakov himself says that he lives in a three-room apartment in a panel house on the outskirts of Kharkov.
According to the Vechernie Vedomosti newspaper, the Kharkov governor owns a 12-room apartment in the center of Kharkov on Mironositskaya Street. The total area of the apartment is 657.9 sq. m. m.
Avakov’s accounts in banks and other financial and credit institutions contain 132 thousand 2.61 UAH, and the accounts of his family members contain 114 thousand 596 UAH.
Avakov has a Citroen Zx10 car.
Environment
Arsen Avakov's inner circle includes Viktor Yushchenko's nephew, Yaroslav Yushchenko, whom they met during the Orange Revolution.
Arsen Borisovich is friendly with his business partners Gennady Gaev and Andrey Pereedenko, the first deputy head of the Kharkov Regional State Administration Vladimir Babaev, adviser Alexander Protas, as well as the former mayor of Kharkov Vladimir Shumilkin. “We have been friends for many years outside of politics, outside of our positions and positions, and we have nothing to share with him. He and I have a very powerful tandem, which many envy,” says Arsen Borisovich (“Glavred,” August 12, 2005).
The Kharkov governor loves football. He himself is not averse to kicking a ball with his colleagues
Regalia
Honored Economist of Ukraine.
Awarded with diplomas of the Kharkov Regional State Administration and the Executive Committee of the City Council
Civil servant of the first rank.
Member of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
Member of the Presidium and Council of the People's Union Our Ukraine party.
Member of the Organizing Committee for the preparation and holding of the final tournament of the 2012 European Football Championship in Ukraine.
In March 2009, he headed the deputy group “For Ukraine!” in the Kharkov regional council.
Family
Married. His wife, Inna, is the deputy chairman of the board of JSCB Basis and heads the bank's treasury department. She is a shareholder of JSC Investor (0.2%) and JSCB Basis (2.8%).
The Avakovs are raising their son Alexander. By the way, the son is listed among the founders of Investor JSC (1.7%).
Tymoshenko
Arsen Avakov does not hide his sympathy for BYuT and Yulia Tymoshenko.
“Unfortunately, we rarely communicate with Yulia Vladimirovna. Sometimes we call each other, nothing more. I have always been a supporter of uniting democratic forces. I have my own views on many processes, sometimes different from Tymoshenko’s views. But in the main we are absolute allies. If a democratic coalition is formed and a democratic government comes, and Tymoshenko is in it, I will be in favor with all my heart,” says the Kharkov governor. (“Correspondent”, No. 7, February 24, 2007)
In the last six months, rumors have appeared on the political sidelines that recently the positions of Tymoshenko and Avakov have begun to converge. The Kharkov governor comments on his relationship with Yulia Vladimirovna: “I really have very calm and good relations with many, including Tymoshenko” (November 4, 2008).
Hobby
Loves to read. Science fiction fan. Founder of the Star Bridge science fiction festival, which is held annually in Kharkov. He is friends with Kharkov science fiction writers Dmitry Gromov and Oleg Ladyzhensky (who publish their books under the common pseudonym Henry Lion Oldie).
He enjoys traveling, photography and football. He supports Kharkov teams and the Spanish Inter.
Numismatist.
“The regime in which I now live and work does not seem normal to me at all; I would like a more stable situation and more systematic work. These are apparently shortcomings of my self-organization, including from the point of view of recreation,” says Arsen Avakov (“Economic News”, November 27, 2006).
Before becoming governor, Arsen Borisovich planned to travel around the world.
Wife Inna (left) - Arsen Avakov’s faithful friend and assistant
Yushchenko
Arsen Avakov respects President Yushchenko.
“I decided to support Viktor Yushchenko quite a long time ago, and this was known to everyone, starting from Kushnarev, who had no illusions, and ending with our current president and members of his family. The point is that the moment came when it was necessary to consolidate efforts, then we came together into a fist,” recalls Arsen Borisovich (“Glavred”, August 12, 2005).
The Kharkov governor says that he intends to remain in his current position until the end of Viktor Yushchenko's presidential term.
On the political sidelines, Arsen Avakov is considered Petro Yushchenko’s man. Arsen Borisovich takes this calmly: “I am a man of my parents. My views are consistent with the views of my party comrades, the president, and Petro Yushchenko as well. Nothing more” (“Correspondent”, February 24, 2007).
“I came to power not to improve my business or lobby the interests of some individual companies, but to fulfill all the promises that were given to people during the election campaign and to realize my life ideals.”
“I think that corruption under Kushnarev flourished more than ever, and the unprincipled cynicism of the official was put at the forefront. Business was forced to buy the right to everything from officials.”
“I respect Vladimir Litvin, but I cannot agree that this party accepted Salygin, Svyatash, Bandurka into its ranks.”
“I am real everywhere and feel comfortable. I don’t have to think about how I behave, because I always behave the way I want. I don’t get confused in my thoughts and conversations.”
“I really hope that people like Zinchenko and Tymoshenko will still find the opportunity, together with President Viktor Yushchenko, to form an effective team to achieve our main goal.”
“I will not allow anyone to confuse professionalism and dedication in the name of the Ukrainian people with belonging to one or another political force.”
“I believe that any Ukrainian government will help the Kharkov region, understanding that Kharkov is one of the key and economically most important regions of Ukraine.”
“I always knew that if there are aces of Ukrainian journalism somewhere, it is here – in Kharkov.”
“I believe that any false information should be refuted. And first of all, this is required by the politician’s reputation.”
“I will not sit idly by and watch as the first capital of Ukraine turns into a capital of lawlessness.”
“I’m used to feeling like an independent person and I don’t hold on to this chair.”
“I am the head of the regional state administration and am not interested in who is lobbying whom.”
“I am in an atmosphere of serious support from the residents of the region, which is quite obvious to a sensible observer, and which, by the way, is what opinion polls say. But isolation from scum does not bother me. I want to emphasize: I don’t call my opponents scum. Opponents are normal.”
“I positively assess the rapprochement between Our Ukraine and BYuT.”
“I see no other way out but, on my own behalf and in the interests of the residents of the Kharkov region, to file a lawsuit against the government and NERC demanding the abolition of the existing tariff schedule. Maybe this way we can draw attention to the problem?”
“I am deeply convinced that refined cynical betrayal will never become the basis of good undertakings, and both new “allies” in parliament and those who were hit by this betrayal with a sharp knife should understand this. Society should also understand this.”
“I want to see a man in prison who sells us a syringe for six times the price.”
“I can name the name of the future speaker of the new parliament, but I cannot afford it. I want national leaders to talk about this.”
“I claim that now the employees of the Gas of Ukraine DC are playing an unfair game when they extort money from us. I warned them that this trick wouldn’t work with us.”
“I support the new composition of the Cabinet of Ministers: Yuriy Lutsenko as Minister of Internal Affairs, and Ivan Vakarchuk as Minister of Education, and so on. These are all people who know the subject they will be studying firsthand.”
“I emphasize that we will not allow a mess in the development of state subventions this year.”
“I expect that I will very quickly restore order and put the presumptuous politicians in their place. People need to know what is happening and draw some conclusions for themselves.”
“I will live in Ukraine free for any point of view and for any discussions.”
“I believe that new elections are not needed. This is a shock for the country, chaos, the cessation of a number of programs. And if elections are held, then it is my deep conviction that only under a majoritarian system, when a particular deputy is responsible for his obligations to the voter. This would greatly stabilize the country and the Verkhovna Rada.”
“I am the Ukrainian nationalist Arsen Avakov, who speaks only and exclusively Ukrainian.”
“I am not between the President and the Prime Minister - I am always with the President! If my point of view disagrees with him on key positions, then I, as an honest person, will resign. The President appointed me and entrusted his positions to me.”
“I feel very comfortable and, most importantly, quite confident in the Kharkov region.”
“I expect from the state budget not a revision in the direction of increasing spending on the regions, including the metro, but, on the contrary, its sequestration.”
Sergey Rudenko
Arsen Avakov
Born in Baku in the family of a military man. Lives in Ukraine since 1966. In 1988, he graduated from the Kharkov Polytechnic University with a degree in automated control systems (qualified as a systems engineer). While studying at the institute, in the summer of 1985, Avakov worked as a foreman (detachment commander) of the construction department No. 18 of the Novourengoygazstroy trust in the Tyumen region. In the summer of 1986, he became the commander of the student construction team BMP-522 PSMO Tyumendorstoy of the Urengoytransstroy trust, Politrad reports.
In 1987-1990 - engineer of the Kharkov Research Institute of Water Protection. He was engaged in scientific activities, in particular, issues of mathematical modeling. In 1990, he founded one of the first joint-stock companies in Ukraine - JSC Investor, in which he took the post of president. In 1992, he created and headed the commercial bank Basis. In 2002, he was elected a member of the executive committee of the Kharkov City Council.
Family
The politician is married and has a son.
Political ambitions
On February 4, 2005, by decree of the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko, whom he actively supported in the 2004 elections, he was appointed to the post of chairman of the Kharkov Regional State Administration.
On the same day, as indicated in the official biography, he resigned as chairman of the supervisory boards of controlled business structures - JSC AKB Basis and JSC Investor. On February 5, 2010, on the eve of the re-voting in the presidential elections, he was relieved of his post as head of the Kharkov Regional State Administration. Avakov, who expressed support for Yulia Tymoshenko, who made it to the second round, regarded this dismissal as illegal. He considered it no coincidence that the president’s decision to release the governors of the two largest regions, Dnepropetrovsk and Kharkov, on the eve of the second round of presidential elections.
According to Avakov, these decrees were aimed at destabilizing the situation in the regions, in order to provide Tymoshenko’s rival Viktor Yanukovych, in particular in the Kharkov region, with voting results similar to those in 2005. One of the deputies of the ex-governor of the Kharkov region was the nephew of the head of state, Yaroslav Yushchenko, the son of the president’s elder brother Peter Yushchenko. Avakov was a member of the pro-Yushchenko party Our Ukraine and its presidium.
Since 2006 - deputy of the Kharkov regional council from Our Ukraine, member of the commission on budget issues. Since the fall of 2010 - deputy of the regional council from the Batkivshchyna party (leader - Tymoshenko). Heads the Kharkov regional organization of the Fatherland. Since December 2012 - People's Deputy of Ukraine of the 7th convocation from the Batkivshchyna party (No. 24 on the list). Member of the committee on issues of regulations, parliamentary ethics and ensuring the activities of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
On February 27, 2014, he was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the government of Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Vitaly Zakharchenko was replaced as head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Reviews about the policy
Among Avakov’s long-time political opponents are representatives of the Party of Regions. Particularly irreconcilable enemies include regionalists Mikhail Dobkin, Gennady Kernes and Vasily Salygin, the former head of the Kharkov regional council.
Politician rating
Honored Economist of Ukraine. Author of 12 scientific publications and one monograph.
Compromising evidence
The dirt on the politician itself
On January 26, 2012, the prosecutor's office of the Kharkov region today opened a criminal case against the former head of the Kharkov regional state administration, chairman of the regional organization of the Batkivshchyna party, Arsen Avakov. This was announced by the head of the prosecutor's office of the Kharkov region, Alexander Babikov. A criminal case was initiated under part three of Article 365 (exceeding official powers and authority, which resulted in grave consequences). The prosecutor's office of the Kharkov region, having checked the legality of land transactions in 2009, discovered the fact of an illegal change in the intended purpose and transfer of ownership of 55 hectares of state land worth over 5 and a half million hryvnia.
Compromising evidence on his political strength
In January 2012, according to the website of the Kharkov Regional State Administration, the prosecutor's office of the Kharkov region carried out an investigation into the appeal of the Kharkov Regional State Administration dated January 3, 2012 about the illegal actions of the former head of the regional state administration Avakov when signing and issuing state acts on ownership of land plots to one of the limited liability companies.
Based on the results of an inspection by the regional prosecutor's office, a criminal case was opened against officials of the regional state administration and the Main Directorate of the State Committee for Land Resources in the Kharkov region on the fact of illegal alienation of state-owned land during 2009 through abuse of official position, which entailed grave consequences, and on the fact of official forgery on the grounds of a crime envisaged Part 2 of Article 364, Part 2 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The pre-trial investigation in a criminal case was entrusted to the department for investigating criminal cases of crimes related to corruption of the Kharkov region prosecutor's office and was taken under control by the leadership of the regional prosecutor's office.
According to the head of the Main Legal Department of the Regional State Administration, Konstantin Prokopyev, due to illegal actions of officials of the regional state administration and the Main Directorate of the State Committee for Land in the Kharkov region in 2009, the designated purpose of state-owned agricultural land with a total area of almost 55 hectares worth over 5.5 million UAH was illegally changed.
Opinion: Interior Minister Arsen Avakov should resign immediately. VIDEO
Material condition
In 2011, Focus magazine estimated Arsen Avakov's wealth at $282.9 million (No. 65 in the ranking of the 200 richest people in Ukraine). In 2009, Focus magazine estimated Avakov's fortune at $57.5 million. According to the publication, over the past year he lost $327.5 million. In 2007, Arsen Borisovich, according to the official declaration, earned just over a million hryvnia. The total income of his family members amounted to 175 thousand 897 UAH. Avakov owns a plot of land of 12 acres, a garage, three apartments - two in Kharkov, one in Chuguev, Kharkov region. Arsen Avakov himself says that he lives in a three-room apartment in a panel house on the outskirts of Kharkov.
According to the Vechernie Vedomosti newspaper, the Kharkov governor owns a 12-room apartment in the center of Kharkov on Mironositskaya Street. The total area of the apartment is 657.9 sq. m. m. On Avakov’s accounts in banks and other financial and credit institutions there are 132 thousand 2.61 UAH, on the accounts of his family members - 114 thousand 596 UAH.
Promises and quotes
08 July 2014
Within two days, Slavyansk and Artemovsk will be put in order - unexploded mines, mangled equipment, etc. will be removed. This was announced by the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov on his Facebook account.
“Slavyansk - Artemovsk is still unsafe. Here and there there are unexploded mines, mangled equipment, broken high-voltage wires, craters. In the next two days, this will all be a thing of the past - we will put everything in order,” he said.
On the night of July 5, the militants fled from Slavyansk. Some of them went to Gorlovka, some to Donetsk. By Saturday morning, Ukrainian soldiers occupied Slavyansk. The Ukrainian flag was raised over the city hall.
In addition, the Ukrainian flag was raised over the Kramatorsk City Hall. Infrastructure is being restored in Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, supplies of food, drinking water and other humanitarian aid to local residents have been established.
07 July 2014
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov promises that the television signal will be restored in Slavyansk and Kramatorsk this week. He said this while talking with local residents in Slavyansk.
“The tower will not be restored quickly, but within a week there will be a signal (television - ed),” he promised.
“There will be light and water the day after tomorrow,” he said. According to him, the police entered Slavyansk, “reinforced police detachments will work in the city, and the military will leave.”
01 July 2014
One of the main tasks of the new phase of the anti-terrorist operation is the complete closure of the Ukrainian border with Russia.
This was stated by Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov, Interfax-Ukraine reports. “One of the key tasks of this phase of the ATO is the complete, total closure of the border. Not a fire contact cutoff, but a complete one,” Avakov told reporters on Tuesday in Izyum. He noted that tanks from Russia were able to enter Ukrainian territory precisely because the border was not blocked.
“According to our estimates, there are more than 10 cars in Slavyansk, including cars removed from the pedestal, repaired at one of the factories, as well as cars that crossed the border with the Russian Federation, through Izvarino, through Krasnopartizansk. That is why one of the key tasks is to completely close the borders,” Avakov said. Previously, Censor.NET reported that security forces had restored control at the Dolzhansky border checkpoint.
All the promises
August 26, 2014
Well... as the famous character of the Soviet cartoon said - “I have no strength to hold on anymore.” With these words I came to the prime minister yesterday. The struggle between common sense and bureaucrats has been going on for 72 hours and for a very specific reason. Issue of equipment and weapons (including heavy ones) for units of the National Guard and special battalions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, formed from volunteers. “Donbass”, “Dnepr-1”, “Azov”, “Shakhtersk”, “Kyiv-1”, “Kyiv-2” .. - these are all our battalions. There are more than thirty of them - brave guys. Already battle-hardened - worthy of full-fledged weapons!
- I give you 72 hours to complete all formalities and procedures - to release weapons from warehouses to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Guard. What do you not understand, what other command should you give? The Prime Minister gives you a direct command - complete the registration! — Arseniy Yatsenyuk addressed this irritated remark to officials from the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Defense three days ago.
- But there are procedures, approvals... at least a couple of weeks, if no questions arise. And they will most likely arise.. - the clerks rustled papers..
And yet we tried - a letter - the Prime Minister's team, the non-resistance of the Minister of Defense, the activity of the Minister of Internal Affairs and the commander of the National Guard... 72 hours have passed. Did not work. The bureaucratic machine continued to creak, showing regulatory documents that everything was being done according to the law and we would continue to formalize it... and the weapons, the weapons were in the same place as they had been for the last 20 years - in warehouses! In warehouses, and not in the hands of Azov fighters who stopped Russian tanks near Novoazovsk yesterday..
I was patient, I was delicate, I tried to be “good”, but it didn’t work. It doesn't work like that!
Came to the prime minister:
- I don’t have the strength to hold on anymore...
— Couldn’t get it?
-No
— And even grenade launchers?
- No. We don’t need Putin, we will defeat ourselves this way.. Bureaucracy and old procedures are stronger than the prime minister and minister..
- No, not stronger. ************ End of the ceremonies. War. I convene the government.
At 14.30 the Cabinet of Ministers was urgently convened. The resolution “Issues of the seizure and transfer of weapons, military equipment and other military property” was adopted. Direct procedure for obtaining weapons at the request of the Minister of Internal Affairs, among other things. The party of bureaucrats in the Cabinet of Ministers was completely defeated - Arseniy did not allow objections, references to the RNBO, etc.. Thanks to the supporting ministers!
At 19.30 we were already processing the shipment of tanks for the National Guard to the combat zone for the morning..
By the age of 20, Anton Gerashchenko completed the formalities for the transfer of ZU-23 guns in Mariupol for the National Guard and Azov..
It seems to have worked.
Overcome yourself, your archaism. Ask why they waited and only now? As I already said - no delicacy - nothing personal - we have guys there with two RPGs for 3 tanks... Because we have more eccentrics with the letter M and reinsurers in the long corridors of power than you can imagine... But is it only in structures of power.
And it’s okay, we’ll fight and break through! The main thing is to do what you have to do. What would everyone do!
Tomorrow - all attention to anti-tank weapons. We process it, pick it up from warehouses, and ship it. Up to 48 hours.
So that not a single piece of trash doubts that crossing the border of Ukraine on a tank or armored personnel carrier will get a big bang!..
Facebook. 08/26/2014
August 19, 2014
Ilovaisk. Fight for liberation. Semyon Semenchenko, commander of the Donbass National Guard battalion, who has been on the front line for the second day, received shrapnel wounds. In the advanced attack group clearing terrorists from Ilovaisk, they ran into mortar fire. They held out, but the attack was not curtailed. Among ours, one soldier died and four were wounded. Including Semyon who was wounded. Multiple fragmentation. They took everyone from the battlefield to the hospital. Preliminarily, the lives of the wounded are not in danger.
We are sending the guys a reserve to help. Let's keep our fingers crossed! Glory to the brave warriors!
Facebook. 08/19/2014
August 17, 2014
Another information flow began, from the half-forgotten right sector - this time they came up with an “ultimatum to the President.” There is a smell of elections... Yes, and attention needs to be switched... Or maybe Yarosh should still answer for those 32 people who, due to the stupidity of his command, carelessly drove into a post near Donetsk and were killed and captured? Maybe stop building a mythical legend on blood and grief?
Maybe he will finally tell where these mythical “our units from the front” are and what logic and plan they serve in the war? Can he at least tell me where these parts are that no one has really seen except in photos and videos? So that at least sometimes they were seen not by military staff officers, but by real combat commanders of real battalions? Maybe stop playing Robin Hood - stupidly exposing those who believe you, Yarosh, to real patriots for the sake of your patriotic snobbery?!
PR is larger than life, the pose is even larger... Yarosh, Yarosh - your problem is that with your buffoonery of a brutal patriot you are deceiving many people who followed you into essentially illegal armed groups - without rules and foundations, without laws and order. Essentially, turning the people who trusted you into meaningless cannon fodder of disorganization... And no war will justify this... And this is not your personal business. It’s not for you to decide the destinies of people in this way... And no war justifies this. On the contrary, the war burdens your position...
And a few words about the “arbitrariness of the cops” - a few days ago, at the entrance to Lviv, a group of people without documents was detained, introducing themselves as “right sector from the front.” In the trunk of two cars there were three grenade launchers, five machine guns, pistols, rifles , grenades f1..total 24 types of weapons and ammunition. All without documents and not legal... Let them import?!! Let them then shoot from a grenade launcher at the mayor of Lvov, Sadovoy, as was the case a couple of weeks ago? Is this what the public and the country want? Is this the order Yarosh wants in the country? Then he really needs to attack the Minister of Internal Affairs. Because I don't accept this. ….In the most difficult moments, over the last 5 months of the country’s life, how a problem is deliberately thrown in… so convenient for the Russian media, so frightening and the heads of people from the east of the country so filled with Russian TV propaganda.. From oblivion, “cache”, “patriotic” underground" the PS pops up - throws in another statement or action - playing along with Moscow propaganda, scaring people in the east with its stupid actions.. Volens-nevolens is forced to ask: Who are you working for Yarosh? Or are you just not on friendly terms with your head? ...And you don’t need to tell me about Grushevsky and Institutskaya - I was there, I was there all the time - and I know the truth about the real heroes..
p/s – as for the “demand” of the PS to fire First Deputy Minister Evdokimov. PR again? Did you find out that the document for Evdokimov’s resignation was sent two weeks ago to the Cabinet of Ministers for a decision and vote and started doing PR? Showmanship, not a position - but a pose...
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DOSSIER: Avakov Arsen Borisovich updated: July 1, 2019 by: creator
Alexander Avakov, the son of the Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov, is one of the defendants in the so-called “backpack” case, which is being investigated by NABU. On October 31, Avakov Jr. was detained. Read the most notorious facts from the biography of the son of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the “24” website.
NABU detectives have been investigating the case of the purchase of backpacks for the Ministry of Internal Affairs at inflated prices since 2016. The case involves his friend, representative of the Dniprovend company Vladimir Litvin and the deputy head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Backpack scandal
At the end of 2014 - beginning of 2015, the Ministry of Internal Affairs purchased 6 thousand tactical backpacks for 16.5 million hryvnia for the National Guard. One of the winning companies of the tender is Dnipropetrovsk-based Dniprovend; it supplied the ministry with 5 thousand backpacks at significantly inflated prices (2899 UAH per 1 piece). In addition, the backpacks did not meet the requirements of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (they were too small) and were not delivered on time in full.
The Dniprovend company turned out to be liquidated and involved one of the friends of Avakov’s son. At the time the company participated in the tender, law enforcement officers had already been investigating its activities as a possible conversion center for almost a year.
The case about “Avakov’s backpacks”: main figures
The selection of the tender winners (including the same company of Avakov Jr.’s friend) took place with the personal intervention of former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Sergei Chebotar. In February of this year, a video from a hidden camera appeared in which the son of the Minister of Internal Affairs apparently negotiated with Chebotar to supply backpacks for departments of the ministry.
Chebotar and Avakov Jr. agree on the supply of backpacks: watch the video
In June 2015, a journalistic investigation about this scandal was published; criminal proceedings on “Avakov’s backpacks” were opened by the Prosecutor General’s Office in July 2015. And since April 2016, the case has been in NABU.
Apartment for several million and other luxury
Alexander Avakov owns an elite 6-room apartment with a total area of 375 sq. m. and several parking spaces in the capital's Alpiysky residential complex. His father Arsen Avakov said that his son is an entrepreneur and can afford to buy a home with a parking space for UAH 4.4 million. The purchase was made on May 28, 2014.
As the media found out, Alexander Avakov’s apartment occupies two levels under the very roof. His penthouse has 5 bedrooms, a living room, a study, a dressing room and a kitchen-dining room. The ceiling height is 3.3 m, and panoramic windows overlook the city center.
My son is engaged in his own business and those assets that passed to him after I moved to the civil service. His business is located in Italy, Lithuania and Ukraine. Alexander owns apartments in Kharkov and Kyiv,
– Arsen Avakov explained in 2015.
In particular, together with his parents, Alexander is one of the founders of the Avakov Trust Company, which is engaged in brokerage operations. Avakov Jr. is also a minority shareholder in his father’s company “Investor” (Kharkov). In 2016, the company’s assets increased by 1.6% – to UAH 233.1 million.
In 2015, a photo of Avakov’s son wearing a Givenchy brand T-shirt for UAH 13,750 circulated online.
Alexander Avakov in a branded Givenchy T-shirt (photo from Instagram)
Threats to a journalist
After the beauty contest in March 2016, journalist Kristina Suvorina said that she received threats from Alexander. And all because he did not want to advertise his presence at the event.
Arsen Borisovich Avakov- Ukrainian businessman and politician, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine since 2014.
Arsen Avakov - People's Deputy of Ukraine (2012−2014), Chairman of the Kharkov Regional State Administration (2005−2010), Deputy of the Kharkov Regional Council. Member of the National Council on Interaction between State Authorities and Local Government Bodies (2008−2010), the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (2007−2008). Avakov is a member of the Euro 2012 organizing committee (2007). Honored Economist of Ukraine (2007).
Family and education of Arsen Avakov
Arsen Borisovich Avakov was born on January 2, 1964 in Baku, in the village named after. Kirov (Kirov district, currently Binagadi district) Baku (Az SSR) in the family of a military pilot. Avakov is Armenian by nationality. Religion: Armenian Apostolic Church.
Arsen Avakov's father is Boris Surenovich Avakov (1936−1995), aviator, pilot, officer. Arsen's mother is Tatyana Matveevna Avakova (1935−2002).
Since 1966, the family moved to Ukraine. Avakov's father served in various garrisons as a Soviet officer. In connection with this, Arsen studied abroad and graduated from school No. 32 of the Central Group of Forces in Czechoslovakia, where the children of Soviet military personnel studied.
Returning to Ukraine, Arsen Avakov in 1981-1982 worked as a preparator at the Department of Automated Control Systems at the Kharkov Polytechnic Institute. In 1988, Avakov graduated from the same institute with a degree in Automated Control Systems, specialty - systems engineer. In 1987-1990, the future Minister of Internal Affairs worked as an engineer at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute for Water Protection in Kharkov.
Business and career of Arsen Avakov
Avakov, working as an engineer after college, managed to take advantage of the benefits of the perestroika period. The time was hot, joint stock companies and banks grew like mushrooms on the asphalt. Being a creative young man, in 1990 he founded and headed Investor JSC (whose president he served until 2005), and in 1992, the Basis commercial bank.
Having passed the 90s, Avakov Arsen realized that business should be supported by political connections. In 2002, Avakov was elected a member of the executive committee of the Kharkov City Council.
During the 2004 presidential campaign, Avakov became deputy head of the Kharkov headquarters of Viktor Yushchenko and first deputy chairman of the Kharkov regional “National Salvation Committee”.
The efforts of Arsen Borisovich were noted by the Kyiv authorities and on February 4, 2005, by decree of the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko, Avakov was appointed chairman of the Kharkov Regional State Administration.
In March 2005, Avakov became a member of the presidium of the People's Union Our Ukraine party. Deputy of the Kharkov Regional Council of the 5th convocation (2006), member of the commission on budget issues. On April 11, 2009, he was elected chairman of the Kharkov regional organization “For Ukraine!”
Arsen Avakov’s activities in the Kharkov region came to a logical end with Yushchenko’s presidential term. It is curious that just before his departure, the president was forced to dismiss Avakov on the basis of Part 10 of Art. 118 of the Constitution of Ukraine, after on February 3, 2010, an extraordinary session of the Kharkov Regional Council passed a vote of no confidence in Avakov as the head of the region with the wording “for the use of administrative resources during preparations for the second round of the presidential elections.” On February 9, 2010, two days after Viktor Yanukovych’s victory in the presidential elections, Arsen Borisovich resigned from his post as chairman of the Kharkov Regional State Administration.
Yulia Tymoshenko and Arsen Avakov (Photo: Facebook.com)
In 2010-2013, Arsen Avakov continued to move in political circles. On April 21, 2010, he joined the Batkivshchyna party and headed its regional organization. In October 2010, he took part in the elections of Kharkov mayor. But Avakov lost them too. O. city mayor Gennady Kernes.
Since the fall of 2011, Arsen Avakov has been in Europe on business with his own foundation. Until December 2012, he was in exile in Italy due to criminal prosecution in Ukraine. On January 26, 2012, the Ukrainian prosecutor's office opened a criminal case against Arsen Avakov for malicious abuse of power, and specifically for the illegal change of purpose and transfer to private ownership of 55 hectares of state land worth over 5.5 million hryvnia in Pesochin.
However, following the results of the autumn parliamentary elections of 2012, Avakov was elected as a people’s deputy of Ukraine on the lists of the united opposition “Fatherland”. On November 27, 2012, he announced his intention to return to Ukraine and begin his duties as a people's deputy. In parliament, Arsen Avakov was the chairman of the subcommittee on legislation on the status of people's deputy of Ukraine.
Arsen Avakov - Minister of Internal Affairs
After the coup d'etat, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine appointed Arsen Avakov as acting on February 22, 2014, and on February 27 he was confirmed as Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
Arsen Avakov was an active participant in the events on the Maidan, and after his appointment he invited the militants of the Right Sector * and the Maidan Self-Defense to join the ranks of the police. At the same time, he showed himself to be a tough opponent of independence on the part of the radicals, even to the point of physical elimination. A sad fate befell the well-known Alexander Muzychko (Sashko Bily), who was killed by police on the night of March 24-25, 2014 in the Rivne region while being detained with handcuffs. “Right Sector” * accused Minister Avakov of Muzychko’s murder and promised revenge. In response, Avakov said: “If some bandits threaten the minister, I accept this challenge and am ready to accept any challenge.”
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov after a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada. February 2014 (Photo: Maxim Nikitin/TASS)
Avakov is the creator of the National Guard; it was through his efforts that numerous criminal elements received weapons and legalization. For example, former fighter of the Tornado battalion Alexander Pugachev, who shot two policemen in the Dnieper in the fall of 2016. At the same time, a case is being considered in Kyiv about the crimes of members of the Tornado battalion of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, detained in the summer of 2015. They are accused of kidnappings, murders, rapes, assaults, robberies, thefts and other crimes.
Avakov’s reform to transform the police into police did not lead to success either. Scandals with the police occur regularly, for example, at the end of 2016 in the village of Knyazhichi near Kiev, during a special operation by the police and the KORD special unit to detain robbers, due to unforeseen circumstances, a shootout occurred with the state security service (GSO). Five people died. According to one version, law enforcement officers were engaged in robbery. A fan of reacting to everything on Facebook, Avakov decided to remain silent about this incident.
There are many complaints against Avakov regarding corruption. A pre-trial investigation by the anti-corruption bureau established the fact of a preliminary conspiracy with the participation of Avakov’s ex-deputy Sergei Chebotar and the minister’s son Alexander Avakov, thanks to which the backpacks were supplied at inflated prices by a company associated with the minister’s family. In this way, 14.5 million hryvnia (36 million rubles) were spent.
Wealth and sources of income of Arsen Avakov
Back in 2005, Avakov said that he had long established himself in this world: “I have everything: I have enough honor and money.” As governor of the Kharkov region, Arsen Avakov was included in the list of the richest citizens of Ukraine. In 2008, according to Focus magazine, he was 67th in the TOP of the richest Ukrainians with a fortune of $385 million.
A little later, in 2011, Focus magazine estimated Avakov’s fortune at $282.9 million.
According to experts, Avakov’s business empire expanded significantly after Euromaidan and Arsen’s return to power. Which does not greatly affect the official declaration of the minister as a representative of the government. In 2016, Arsen Avakov’s income in the form of salary amounted to only 466 thousand UAH (about a million rubles).
Arsen Avakov and charity
Avakov, as a citizen, previously co-founded several charitable structures.
Foundation named after Marianna Avakova (Arsen Avakov's deceased sister) provided assistance to orphanages, boarding schools, and orphans.
The Star Bridge charity organization was involved in organizing the annual international fantasy festival, publishing fantasy literature, and carrying out social and educational activities in orphanages, schools, and universities.
The Renaissance Charitable Foundation organizes charity events, concerts, and auctions. Provides assistance in the restoration and revival of historical and architectural monuments. In addition, Arsen Avakov supports young scientists, scientific programs, and children's creativity with the help of “grants”.
Arsen Avakov with his wife Inna and son Alexander (Photo: Facebook.com)
Family of Arsen Borisovich Avakov
Arsen Avakov's wife is Inna Avakova. She held the position of Deputy Chairman of the Board of PJSC JSCB Basis, part of JSC Investor (1994−2012).
Has a son, Alexander. Since the beginning of August 2014, Alexander Avakov, according to official information, served in the special battalion of the Ministry of Internal Affairs “Kyiv-1”. He is better known for scandalous stories, in particular, for his love of gambling. Also, the son of Minister Avakov threatened the journalist of the Ukrainian television channel ICTV Kristina Suvorina, who was filming him at one of the beauty contests. Alexander Avakov is also involved in the corruption case with backpacks for the ATO.
Avakov on Facebook
Arsen Avakov actively uses Facebook as a means of PR, he was even nicknamed the Facebook Minister. Arsen Borisovich takes a break from social networks only when another scandal involving the police breaks out in the country. On social networks, everyone gets the worst of it from the minister; in particular, Avakov was one of the most unrestrained Ukrainian politicians in relation to Donald Trump. After Donald said that the residents of Crimea want to be with Russia, Avakov called the American a “dangerous outcast.”
And after Trump’s victory, which came as a shock to his Ukrainian critics, Arsen Avakov used the definition “Pindostan” in relation to the main patron of the current Kyiv regime.
Arsen Avakov and scandals
One of Avakov’s funniest conflicts occurred on December 14, 2015. During the National Reform Council in the presence of the country's President Petro Poroshenko, Avakov did not like the speech of the then governor of the Odessa region, Mikheil Saakashvili; during the quarrel, he suggested that the ex-President of Georgia “get out of his country.” In the process, Avakov threw a glass of water at his opponent. The expression "Bebebe", used by both Caucasian Ukrainians, has become a meme.
Avakov’s adviser Anton Gerashchenko, commenting on the episode, boasted that the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine is capable of throwing a glass at Poroshenko on occasion, like at Saakashvili.
* In November 2014, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation recognized the activities of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, Right Sector, UNA-UNSO and Tryzub im. Stepan Bandera. Their activities on Russian territory are prohibited.
Arsen Borisovich Avakov is a people's deputy from the Batkivshchyna party. Since February 22, 2014, he has been acting Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, and since February 27 he was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs.
Place of birth and education of Arsen Avakov.
Arsen Avakov was born in 1964 on January 2 in the city of Baku. His father was a military man. The family moved to Ukraine in 1966.
1988 - graduated from the Kharkov Polytechnic Institute, majoring in automated control systems. The qualification "systems engineer" was awarded after graduation from the university.
Career of Arsen Avakov.
1985 - simultaneously with studying at the university, he worked in the summer at Novourengoygazstroy (Tyumen region). Worked as a foreman for construction department No. 18.
1986 - PSMO Tyumendorstroy of the Urengoytransstroy trust. In the summer, he works as the commander of the BMP-522 student construction team.
1987-1990 - Kharkov Research Institute of Water Protection, work as an engineer. Engagement in scientific activities, within the framework of which he was engaged in the development of problems of mathematical modeling.
1990 - founder of practically the first joint-stock company in Ukraine. Founded and headed JSC "Investor".
1992 - Avakov became the founder of the Basis commercial bank, in which he took the post of head.
2002 - election to the executive committee of the Kharkov City Council.
2005 - appointment as chairman of the Kharkov Regional State Administration, according to the Presidential Decree. (President Viktor Yushchenko). Avakov actively supported Yushchenko in the 2004 elections. On the day of his appointment, Avakov resigned from the post of chairman of the supervisory board of OJSC AKB Basis and JSC Investor.
February 2010 - before the second round of voting in the presidential elections, Avakov was removed from his post as head of the Kharkov Regional State Administration. He supported Yulia Tymoshenko, who made it to the second round. He considered his dismissal illegal. Avakov considered it no coincidence that the president, on the eve of the second round of voting, decided to remove the governors of the largest regions: Dnepropetrovsk and Kharkov from their positions.
In his opinion, such actions were supposed to destabilize the situation in the regions so that Tymoshenko’s rival, Viktor Yanukovych, could win the elections. The voting results in the Kharkov region were similar to those in 2005. The post of deputy ex-governor in the Kharkov region was held by Yaroslav Yushchenko, the nephew of Viktor Yushchenko, the son of his brother Peter. Avakov was a member of the Our Ukraine party and was a member of its presidium.
2006 - deputy of the regional council of the Kharkov region from the Our Ukraine party, member of the budget commission.
At the end of April 2010, Arsen Avakov decided to join Yulia Tymoshenko’s Batkivshchyna party, joined the party’s political council, and accepted the party leader’s offer to head the regional cell of the political force.
In October of the same 2010, he took part in the elections for the mayor of Kharkov - Avakov and the representative of the Communist Party of Ukraine Alla Alexandrovskaya were then considered the main competitors of Gennady Kernes, a representative of the Party of Regions, who served as the mayor. As a result, after processing all 100 percent of the protocols, Kernes was declared the winner, for whom 30.09 percent of voters voted, while Avakov was very little behind the winner - the ex-governor was supported in the elections by 29.46 percent of Kharkov residents.
It is worth noting that the election campaign, the elections themselves, and the counting of votes took place in a very difficult environment, and the parties recorded numerous violations of election legislation by their political opponents. In particular, representatives of the Freedom House organization stated that they have information about a change in the voting result in favor of Gennady Kernes, which occurred as a result of massive violations of the law.
In their report, representatives of Freedom House emphasized that the decision taken by the authorities to postpone local elections from May to October, as well as the subsequent amendments to the electoral legislation immediately before the elections, raised concerns about the possible use of administrative resources aimed in favor of candidates from Party of Regions.
In the fall of 2011, Arsen Borisovich went to Europe, where he was involved in matters related to his foundation. In particular, Avakov actively promoted the film “The Armenian Heritage of Europe.” Due to criminal prosecution on the territory of Ukraine, Avakov was in Italy until December 2012.
In 2012, following the results of the parliamentary elections held in Ukraine, he became a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, entering parliament on the Batkivshchyna electoral list. At the end of November 2012, Avakov publicly announced his intention to return to Ukraine and begin fulfilling his duties as a people's deputy. Returning to Ukraine, he headed a subcommittee in the Verkhovna Rada on issues of the status of a people's deputy.
After the Euromaidan began in the country in November 2013, Avakov took an active part in the protests - in particular, he was involved in arranging the infrastructure of the protesting activists’ camp: issues related to feeding protest participants, a tent city and barricades that protected protesters from law enforcement officers.
The activities of Arsen Avakov as Minister of Internal Affairs.
After the victory of the Revolution of Dignity and the flight from Ukraine of Viktor Yanukovych, who held the position of head of state, on February 22, 2014, deputies of the Verkhovna Rada decided to dismiss the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vitaly Zakharchenko, and Arsen Avakov was appointed acting Minister of Internal Affairs instead of him. Let us remind you that according to Ukrainian legislation, nominating a candidate for the post of Minister of Internal Affairs is the prerogative of the head of state, and since the parliament removed Yanukovych from performing presidential duties and a new president has not yet been elected, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs received the prefix “acting” to his position. Avakov got rid of this prefix after Petro Poroshenko was elected president of the country - the new head of state decided to submit the candidacy of the acting head of the department for parliamentary approval.
As Yuriy Lutsenko, who now holds the position of Prosecutor General, explained then, after the victory of Euromaidan, the most likely contenders for the post of head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were Vitaly Yarema and Arsen Avakov - as a result, with a margin of only one vote, the former governor of the Kharkov region was elected acting minister, then how Yarema took the position of prosecutor general.
Arsen Borisovich immediately after his appointment announced that representatives of the Maidan Self-Defense and representatives of the Right Sector would be included in the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
On February 25, the acting minister carried out personnel changes in his department, and also ordered an official investigation into the facts of abuse of official position, abuse of power and disciplinary offenses by the heads of departments and Main Directorates of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in a number of Ukrainian regions. In addition, Avakov kept his promise and signed order number 144, according to which the Berkut special police unit ceased to exist.
Speaking about the results of the first 100 days of his work in the ministerial chair, Avakov listed the positive results that he managed to achieve - this, in particular, the re-establishment of the national guard in Ukraine, preventing the implementation of the separatist scenario in Kharkov, as well as the successful work of law enforcement officers of the department he headed during holding presidential elections in May 2014. At the same time, Arsen Borisovich admitted that it has not yet been possible to carry out a quick reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
At the same time, he pointed out the need to create a Ministry of Propaganda in the country - according to Avakov, such a ministry must definitely be created, and there is no need to be shy about it. Later, such a ministry was indeed created in Ukraine - it was headed by Yuriy Stets, but after a year of work, experts recognized the ineffectiveness of the new department and the loss of the propaganda machine of the Russian Federation.
At the end of June 2014, Avakov spoke about the plans of the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to replace about 20 thousand police officers in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions, who had discredited themselves during the recent events that took place in these regions. He explained that vast territories of Ukraine liberated from terrorists were left without police and without local authorities. According to preliminary estimates, it is necessary to find about 20 thousand people who deserted or discredited themselves. At the same time, he emphasized that it is necessary to ensure that a wave of mistrust and criticism does not wash away worthy people who honestly served their country in a very difficult situation.
On August 19, 2014, Arsen Avakov signed a decree on joint actions of the department he heads and the National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting to monitor compliance with Ukrainian legislation in the field of a temporary ban on Russian television channels in Ukraine that promote violence and war. According to this order, the territorial divisions of the ministry must help identify cable operators who do not comply with the decision suspending the broadcast of banned TV channels on Ukrainian territory, as well as monitor broadcasts of domestic cable networks in public buildings.
On August 26, the minister announced that he would not take part in the parliamentary elections together with Batkivshchyna, since he had left this political force. Along with him, about 20 more people left Tymoshenko’s party, including Liliya Grinevich, Pavel Petrenko, Andrei Parubiy, Sergei Pashinsky, Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Alexander Turchynov. Avakov explained that the reason for leaving Batkivshchyna was the inability to come to an agreement with a number of other political forces to put Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who was the head of government at that time, first on the electoral list. He also told reporters about plans to create a new political party, or rather, re-register an existing political force, and even announced the name of the new party - “People's Front”.
As a result, the party was created, and Arsen Borisovich joined the ranks of the specially created military council of the New Front. The need to create a military council of the party was caused by the fact that Ukrainian legislation prohibits law enforcement officers and military personnel from being members of any party.
At the end of August 2014, Avakov said that a project for reforming the Ministry of Internal Affairs should be ready by September 15. The minister noted that this project must be approved by the government and the Verkhovna Rada by the end of October. He emphasized that the project itself is actually ready, and only small details remain to be finalized. The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs also said that the package of future reforms would be presented by members of the group that developed them, and promised to organize an open discussion of the proposed reform of the department.
The Cabinet of Ministers met the deadlines announced by Arsen Borisovich - on October 22, 2014, the government approved both the concept of reforming the ministry and the strategy involving the elimination of the department for combating organized crime. As Avakov himself said, the Organized Crime Control Department was the most repressive apparatus of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. At the same time, he promised that in the event of disbandment, everything useful that was in the department for combating organized crime would be transferred to the criminal unit of the renewed police. In addition, as mentioned earlier, about 15 thousand police officers in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions who remained in the territory controlled by the separatists were dismissed from their positions - they were dismissed from the ranks of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and deprived of all social guarantees.
On October 9, 2014, Arsen Avakov announced the start of lustration in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in accordance with the provisions of the law on cleansing the civil service, adopted by parliament and signed by the President of Ukraine. By the end of October of the same year, 91 employees were dismissed from the department on the basis of the lustration law - the dismissed included the heads of regional police departments in Poltava, Khmelnitsky, Ternopil, Chernihiv, Donetsk and Kiev regions, heads of departments of the State Traffic Inspectorate, the leadership of the Security Service Department, as well as 8 employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the rank of general.
On November 11, 2014, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs published the texts of documents on reforming the department, and also announced the composition of the expert council, and named the names of consultants who developed the reform strategy together with representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
On December 2, 2014, the Verkhovna Rada held a vote on the new composition of the Cabinet of Ministers - a parliamentary coalition, which included the Popular Front, Petro Poroshenko Bloc, Batkivshchyna, the Radical Party and Samopomich, supported the proposed candidates, while retaining the post of head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs belongs to Arsen Avakov.
On December 17, 2014, Eka Zguladze, who received Ukrainian citizenship, was appointed Avakov’s deputy - it was she who was entrusted with the responsibilities for reforming the ministry.
On March 25, 2015, right during a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, law enforcement officers publicly detained the head of the State Service for Emergency Situations, Sergei Bochkovsky, and his deputy, Vasily Stroetsky. At the same time, Avakov asked to resign Bochkovsky, Stroetsky, as well as all the heads of the State Emergency Service, since they were also involved in the criminal scheme. The minister explained that the decision to arrest the head of the State Emergency Service and his deputy was made so that they would not be able to evade responsibility in the future.
On July 1, 2015, Arsen Avakov, accompanied by special forces soldiers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, urgently arrived in Nikolaev, where he suspended the entire staff of the regional State Traffic Inspectorate from work, accusing traffic police officers of bribery. The minister explained that instead of employees of the State Traffic Inspectorate, the roads of the Nikolaev region will be patrolled by employees of the new police, and before they can begin work, soldiers of the special unit “Peacemaker” will patrol the region.
As of the summer of 2015, Avakov’s salary was one of the highest in the Cabinet of Ministers - at the end of one month, the country’s chief police officer earned about 14 thousand hryvnia (approximately $700 at the then exchange rate).
After the parliament nevertheless dismissed the government of Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the reformatting of the Cabinet of Ministers again did not affect Avakov - he continues to remain the Minister of Internal Affairs in the new composition of the Cabinet, with Prime Minister Vladimir Groysman.
On May 22, 2016, Arsen Avakov announced the continuation of reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He, in particular, announced plans to create a police academy in Ukraine, as well as the liquidation of registration and examination departments of the State Traffic Inspectorate - these steps should be the next stages of reform. At the same time, the minister noted that if the reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the work to create the National Police fail, this will be a very serious blow to the expectations of Ukrainian society.
On May 24, Avakov, during a meeting with Robert Gil Kerlikowski, head of the US Customs and Border Protection Service, said that over a year of intensive work carried out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the level of trust of the Ukrainian population in law enforcement agencies has been raised from the previous 7 percent to 44 percent. Today, only the National Guard, the Armed Forces and the Church, which are part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, are ahead of the police in terms of trust. The minister also noted a very interesting effect - he explained that in his understanding, the ministry had done very little, and according to the minister’s personal feelings, the system was changed by a maximum of 10 percent. However, at the same time, everyone sees people’s reaction to the changes that have taken place - they want change, they believe in it.
Avakov recalled that a large-scale program is currently being implemented in cooperation with the United States of America aimed at reforming the ministry he heads. The first in these public reforms was the reform of the police unit, which should become the backbone of the security system, the backbone of Ukrainian society, and the backbone of the border service. The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs noted that Ukraine’s partners in these transformations, in addition to the United States, are also Japan, Canada, the states of the European Union, and Turkey recently joined these countries. In particular, about 24 programs are being implemented in cooperation with the United States alone, including the program for reforming the Ukrainian border service, the program for supporting the light infantry brigade of the National Guard, within the framework of which joint exercises have already been held between Ukrainian National Guardsmen and Marines of the US Armed Forces, as well as a special training program for CORD.
Criminal prosecution of Arsen Avakov.
Ukraine. On January 26, 2012, prosecutors opened a criminal case against Arsen Avakov - the former governor of the Kharkov region, law enforcement officers suspected of violating Article 365 of the Criminal Code, charging him with malicious abuse of power and official authority, leading to grave consequences. More specifically, charges were brought against Avakov for changing the designated purpose of 55 hectares of state-owned land in Pesochin, which was recognized as illegal, with their subsequent transfer to private ownership. The total cost of the land transferred into private hands was estimated at more than 5.5 million hryvnia. As part of this criminal case, law enforcement officers conducted searches on January 31, 2012 in apartments owned by Avakov.
The reason for initiating a criminal case against the former governor was identified during an inventory of the Kharkov branch of the State Land Land Management Service at the end of 2011. In this case, it should be especially noted that during a similar inventory carried out at the end of 2010, no actions violating the norms of Ukrainian legislation were identified.
Arsen Borisovich himself explained that he canceled the initial act 45 days after signing, and the criminal case brought against him was falsified. He also stated that the initiators of this case are Advisor to the President of Ukraine Andrey Portnov, Head of the Kharkov Regional State Administration Mikhail Dobkin and Kharkov City Mayor Gennady Kernes.
Considering the fact that the ex-governor had been in Europe since the fall of 2011, on January 31, 2012, he was put on the international wanted list through Interpol. On the same day, the Chervonozavodsky District Court of Kharkov decided to choose a preventive measure in the form of detention against Avakov. In turn, Arsen Borisovich appealed to the head of the General Prosecutor's Office with a request to close the criminal case brought against him, citing the absence of corpus delicti here.
However, on March 21, 2012, Interpol put Arsen Avakov on the international wanted list, and a few days later the media reported the detention of the former governor in Italy. On March 29, the Italian court decided to take Avakov into custody for a period of 40 days - Arsen Borisovich was released from custody on April 12, 2012, based on the corresponding decision of the Roman court. On October 18, an Italian court decided to deny Ukraine the extradition of Arsen Avakov.
Russian Federation. On June 21, 2014, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against Arsen Avakov and the head of the Dnepropetrovsk Regional State Administration, famous businessman Igor Kolomoisky: Russian law enforcement officers accused both Ukrainian citizens of using prohibited methods and means of warfare, organizing murders on Ukrainian territory, and kidnapping during the armed conflict in Donbass, as well as in obstructing the professional activities of journalists. Avakov, who had already become the Minister of Internal Affairs, commenting on this situation, said that the criminal case initiated by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation is the highest assessment of the work that he has done. At the same time, the Ukrainian minister promised that he will continue to be a very inconvenient figure for the regime of Vladimir Putin.
As part of this criminal case, employees of the Investigative Committee interviewed citizens of Ukraine located on the territory of the Russian Federation en masse. At the same time, the department especially emphasized that law enforcement officers interrogate only internally displaced persons, or citizens of Ukraine whose relatives live in the conflict zone in Donbass. As a result, investigators of the Investigative Committee interrogated about 4 thousand people, of which 2.7 thousand people were recognized as victims.
On July 9, 2014, the Basmanny District Court of the Russian capital considered the petition submitted by the Investigative Committee regarding the selection of a preventive measure in the form of detention for Arsen Avakov. The process took place behind closed doors, since the investigation materials contained personal data of the victims. The court decided to grant the petition filed by the Investigative Committee, but even if Avakov had somehow fallen into the hands of Russian law enforcement officers, they would not have been able to do anything with him due to the minister’s diplomatic immunity.
Family of Arsen Avakov.
He is married to Inna Avakova, who from 1994 to 2012 held the position of deputy head of the board of PJSC AKB Basis, which is part of the Investor joint stock company. He has a son, Alexander Avakov, who served from the beginning of August 2014 in the ranks of the special battalion of the Ministry of Internal Affairs "Kiev- 1", operating in the ATO zone in Donbass, and taking part in the battles for Slavyansk. After spending a month in the ATO zone, Alexander Avakov returned to the Ukrainian capital for rotation.
Photos of Arsen Avakov that came to the attention of the media.
Among the numerous photographs of Arsen Avakov that appeared in the media, it is worth noting a photograph in which he and Gennady Kernes sing together on the Kharkov Maidan in November 2004.
The press paid even closer attention to the incident that occurred in Kharkov in January 2013, when unknown assailants poured brilliant green on Arsen Avakov, who was then a people’s deputy, with syringes - he was just heading to court, where the case of the EESU company was to be considered.
Videos of Arsen Avakov that came to the attention of the media.
Among the videos depicting Arsen Avakov, it is worth highlighting the already mentioned joint singing with Gennady Kernes.
Resonance in the media was caused by the violation of his promise to travel unaccompanied by motorcades - at the end of March 2014, the lenses of journalists' video cameras dispassionately recorded that the car of the Minister of Internal Affairs was moving to the National Guard training center, accompanied by several premium SUVs.
But, probably, the most resonant video was the recording of Avakov’s conflict with the head of the Odessa Regional State Administration, Mikheil Saakashvili: a verbal skirmish between officials took place in mid-December 2015, right at a meeting of the National Reform Council.
Scandals with Arsen Avakov.
In the Rivne region, on the night of March 24-25, law enforcement officers carried out an operation to detain a well-known member of the Right Sector, Alexander Muzychko, also known as “Sasha Bely” (“Sashko Biliy”). Muzychko, who tried to hide from law enforcement officers, was killed, and Right Sector directly blamed Arsen Avakov for this murder and promised to take revenge on the minister.
Avakov himself said that if the minister is threatened by some bandits, then he accepts this challenge. Moreover, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs declared his readiness to accept any challenge. During one of the meetings of the Cabinet of Ministers, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasized that in the future he would continue to take a very tough position in relation to bandits and in relation to persons who violate order.
Answering a clarifying question whether, when speaking about bandits, he meant representatives of the Right Sector, Avakov said that it does not matter to him who breaks the law - the Maidan Self-Defense or the Right Sector. True patriots of Ukraine defend the state border with weapons in their hands, while people who climb into private households or businesses with weapons in their hands are bandits, especially when they have unregistered automatic weapons in their hands.
In turn, the then leader of the Right Sector, Dmitry Yarosh, called for the immediate resignation of Avakov, and also demanded the arrest of all persons involved in the murder of Alexander Muzychko. On March 27, Right Sector activists staged a picket outside the Verkhovna Rada, demanding Avakov’s resignation. At the same time, their protest action could hardly be called peaceful - car tires were stacked near the parliament building, and the protesters attempted to break into the building. However, as a result, the conflict gradually faded away, and Avakov still continues to head the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
In mid-April 2015, Arsen Avakov lost the case against Svyatoslav Litinsky, a resident of Lviv, in the case of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs speaking in Russian. The plaintiff himself said that he won the trial in the case of Avakov’s speech in Russian: the court declared unlawful the refusal to issue Litinsky with a translation into Ukrainian of the speech of the Minister of Internal Affairs.
The loudest scandal broke out around the person of Arsen Avakov on December 14, 2015, when he, right at a meeting of the National Reform Council, splashed water in the face of Mikheil Saakashvili. In turn, the head of government, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, called the head of the Odessa Regional State Administration a “tourist” and demanded that he get out of Ukraine.
The minister himself, commenting on this conflict, said that Saakashvili, in response to a question asked regarding the communication between the Odessa governor and the Russian oligarch who controls Uralchem regarding the Odessa port plant, as well as regarding the connection between this communication and the privatization of the enterprise, lost control over himself , and called him a "corrupt minister." The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasized that he refrained from hitting Saakashvili, instead splashing water from a glass in his face.
In addition, Arsen Avakov accused the governor of the Odessa region of failing to work as head of the regional state administration, as well as of secretly colluding with Russian oligarchs regarding the privatization of the Odessa port plant. The minister emphasized that in this situation it was enough for the head of the Regional State Administration to answer simply, but he lost his temper - an innocent question caused Saakashvili to insult and hysterically. In this regard, Avakov wondered out loud: is this not the case when a thief’s hat is on fire?
In turn, a people's deputy from the Petro Poroshenko Bloc, famous journalist Sergei Leshchenko, voiced his version of the conflict at a meeting of the National Reform Council on December 14, 2015. According to him, after Mikheil Saakashvili finished his speech, Arsen Avakov said that the head of the Odessa regional state administration did not speak as fiery as he usually speaks on television. As a result, a quarrel began between the officials: the minister accused the governor of being a thief, while Saakashvili replied: he has nothing but an honest name.
After this, Avakov lost his balance, threw a glass at Saakashvili, and demanded to get out of Ukraine. Arseniy Yatsenyuk supported the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and his fellow party member, called the governor of the Odessa region a “tourist,” and also demanded that he leave the country. In response to this, Saakashvili recalled that he is also a citizen of Ukraine, but, unlike Yatsenyuk, he did not rob the country. Leshchenko noted that this action flared up before the eyes of the head of state: the president first made an attempt to calm the conflicting parties, and then closed the meeting.
A few days after the incident, Arsen Avakov announced that he had filed a lawsuit against Mikheil Saakashvili, demanding in the lawsuit that the governor refute the accusations of corruption voiced against him. The minister emphasized that the lawsuit filed in court concerns the protection of his dignity and honor.
At the end of January 2016, the Novoye Vremya publication stated that Arsen Avakov, after heading the Ministry of Internal Affairs, not only managed to return his assets lost during the reign of Viktor Yanukovych, but also earn quite a decent amount from gas production, " optimizing" taxes and lowering the cost of "blue fuel".
In this regard, it is worth recalling that back in 2006, journalist Valentina Romanenko stated that Avakov was the owner of gas wells located in the Kharkov region. After this statement, Arsen Borisovich filed a lawsuit against the journalist, in which he demanded to refute this information - the court ultimately decided in favor of the plaintiff.
Another scandal arose around the son of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Alexander. In particular, in mid-February 2016, a video appeared on the Internet in which a man resembling Alexander Avakov negotiates with a man resembling Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Sergei Chebotar regarding the supply of backpacks to department units. According to the media, this video recording may become evidence of the involvement of Arsen Avakov himself in corruption schemes.
The publication recalls that Avakov came to politics precisely from the gas business, where various types of tax evasion schemes, political corruption and high margins flourish. The Minister of Internal Affairs, of course, formally does not do anything like that, but he has a wife and son, in whose name all the assets belonging to Avakov are registered.
Journalists from the “Schemes” project of Radio Liberty conducted a parallel investigation with law enforcement officers, during which it was established that a video recording was posted from an anonymous account on YouTube video hosting, which was allegedly made by a hidden camera installed in the office of Sergei Chebotar, who was in charge before his dismissal from Ministry of Internal Affairs in May 2015 for public procurement.
From the conversation between the people present in the office, it followed that a man similar to Alexander Avakov wanted to supply a large batch of backpacks to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. At the same time, he explains that he is ready to deliver this batch after the New Year, and also asked for an advance payment. Journalists pay special attention to the fact that everything that people talk about in the office, caught on camera, then coincides with real events - in particular, the dialogue on the recording made by a hidden camera is dated December 2014, and in February of the following year, 2015 , Avakov’s department actually purchased backpacks worth 16.5 million hryvnia.
Later it turned out that the activities of one of the companies that won the tender - the Dniprovend company (Dnepropetrovsk) - had already been investigated by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for a year: law enforcement officers suspected this company of working as a conversion center. Nevertheless, such a delicate situation did not become an obstacle for officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and they did not hesitate to transfer 16.5 million hryvnia of budget funds to the accounts of Dniprovend.
According to experts from the Anti-Corruption Center, this video actually captures the fact that the official violated the norms of Ukrainian legislation. In particular, lawyer Elena Shcherban explained that in this case the official goes beyond the limits of his powers, and this is completely obvious. The official negotiates regarding government procurement, clearly having certain criminal intentions. She stated that such actions fall under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code, which deals with embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds through abuse of official powers. This part of Article 191 provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 7 to 12 years with confiscation of property and a further ban on holding certain positions.
Shcherban also noted that the conversation caught on camera also had signs of an attempted crime. The lawyer explained that the agreements between the official in the video and his interlocutor also fall under Article 191 of the Criminal Code. In this case, we are talking about an organized criminal group, whose members, through their joint actions, form, to put it crudely, a plan to plunder public funds. Therefore, this conversation is clearly an attempted crime, and the subsequent tender, during which the intentions of the persons captured on video were put into practice, is already in fact the commission of a crime, the implementation of a criminal intention.
According to Shcherban, the similarity of the people in the recording with Alexander Avakov and Sergei Chebotar is the basis for including this video recording in the materials of the criminal proceedings opened by law enforcement officers regarding the sale of sand, which was stored in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, at a reduced price. In addition, the lawyer is convinced that this video recording should be given a proper legal assessment.
