Almost Corruptionist: How Sytnyk was made "manually controlled" for another two months

Today, the regional court of appeal in Rivne had to consider an important case crucial for the future career of the NABU director. This is an appeal by Artem Sytnyk to the decision of the Sarnensky court of Rivne region regarding his elite vacations. Back in September, the trial court found him guilty because he spent holidays and vacations on the territory of the Polissye-Sarny hunting ground - and another person paid for it.

From 2017 to 2019 Sytnyk rested on hunting ground five times. On average, for each weekend was paid about UAH 100,000. Mykola Nadejko, who is now a witness, in this case, paid for the director of NABU. Sytnyk did not reflect the costs of these "presents" in his declaration.

If the decision of the Sarny court comes into force, the NABU director must pay a fine of UAH 3,400, but will no longer be able to occupy his post due to being entered in the register of corrupt officials. That is why Sytnik appealed, although he did not personally attend the meeting today. The lawyer of the NABU director in the courtroom said that Sytnyk insisted on videoconferencing, but Judge Oleg Polyukhovich did not confirm this, and then took and announced his recusal. In his statement, Polyukhovich stated the reason, which he announced to the audience. He reminded, that in the case of the Solomyansky court of December 2015 NABU detectives conducted investigative actions in Polyukhovich's premises. "Thus, the impartiality of the trial cannot be ensured," the judge said.

In such a way the judge of Rivne regional court of appeal dismissed himself because of "conflict of interests" and other circumstances. The materials will now be forwarded to the Office for the re-allocation of the case file. Considering the practice of our courts and the resonance of the Sytnyk case, the next appeal can take place in about two months. Judge Polyukhovich can be understood. Sytnik's case is quite resonant, and the interests of many groups of influence, including the authorities, intersect in this case.

Thus, Artem Sytnyk continues to be suspended because he is in a kind of "under- Corruptionist" status. It looks that he is guilty, because there is a Sarnen court ruling and Sytnyk may lose his post. But the appeal is not considered, which leaves him a chance. The most important thing in this story is that in such circumstances Sytnyk becomes a kind of tool in the hands of puppeteers, who can theoretically have an influence on the judicial system and are able to solve all problems of the NABU director. And Sytnyk has recently been talking things really useful for the new government.

After meeting with Vladimir Zelensky, NABU and the SAP entered into some kind of turbo mode. New high-profile cases appear every week, searches are conducted, and suspicions are declared. And it concerns quite influential people, businessmen of the caliber of Sadovy, Zhevago, Dubnevich, Svyatash, Bakhmatyuk. For example, NABU opened the case concerning the refinancing of VAB Bank and the NBU loan of 1.2 billion, and the Sytnyk bureau is actively working on it. Despite the conflict of interests which already calls into question the actions of NABU. For example, Nadejko, who paid for Sytnyk's vacation in the Polissia-Sarny land, is an adviser of Oleg Bakhmatyuk sister.

In general, the "parade" of suspicions and criminal investigations against big businessmen and influential people looks like a kind of cover for redistribution of property in the country. "Mirror of the Week" already wrote that the main player in this kind of "raider" field may be the chairman of the presidential office Andrey Bogdan, who did not refute the article. His right hand is allegedly the head of NABU Artem Sytnyk, in particular, because of his specific legal situation discussed above. Problems of the head of NABU can be solved in the presidential office only. The third component of asset redistribution is the ARMA (Asset Restructuring and Asset Management Agency). The essence of the scheme is quite simple: criminal proceedings are opened, suspicions are declared, information noise is created, and then the NABU detective decides to seize the assets and transfer them to ARMA for sale. As a rule, assets can be sold for cheap. No one eliminates the corruption risks of selling them to "right people".

In this situation, the unclear and doubtful legal status of Sytnyk is quite useful for some representatives of the new government. In this situation, it is much easier to manipulate the head of NABU. His appeal is delayed, and Sytnyk even may be promised that all problems with the corruption history will be solved.

It is extremely difficult for Sytnyk to save an independent position in this case. But NABU is a rather important part of the public authority, financed from the state budget. And it was designed to fight corruption and should be independent.