Business in the crosshairs: not a single criminal case involving pressure on entrepreneurs has been closed in Ukraine – Manifesto 42
12 July 2024 16:54
The Manifesto 42 civic movement held a roundtable discussion where owners and top managers of Ukrainian companies discussed the problem of corrupt pressure on business. The participants confirmed that none of the high-profile cases under the movement’s control have been closed, reports "Komersant Ukrainian" reports with reference to Nashi Hroshi. Moreover, law enforcement agencies continue to use criminal proceedings as a tool for extortion.
Ihor Mazepa, owner of Concord Capital, spoke about the scandalous events of January 2024. According to him, illegal searches and detentions were carried out without appropriate court decisions. The seized property and documents, including those belonging to other companies, have not yet been returned. None of the officials or law enforcement officers involved in these actions have been held accountable.
Oleksandr Zapyshnyi, owner of EDS Ukraine, shared his experience of large-scale searches conducted by the SBU at the end of June 2024. The reason was the information that one of the partner companies had been doing business in Russia before the full-scale invasion in 2022. However, instead of documents related to this case, materials on the contract with Ukrzaliznytsia and the company’s funds were seized. Zapyshny expressed his disappointment and loss of desire to invest in the business he had been developing for 15 years.
Viktor Moskovchenko, the owner of Medinova, spoke about the disappearance of the company’s seized funds from the safe of the Holosiivskyi District Prosecutor’s Office in Kyiv. The prosecutor, accused of stealing more than UAH 4 million, was released by the court on personal recognizance without bail. Moskovchenko also noted that in March 2024, he and his colleagues were threatened with suspicion, demanding that they “resolve the issue” within a week. After refusing, the suspicion was never served.
Other companies, such as Pozhmashina, Arricano Real Estate PLC and X-Park, also reported no progress in resolving their cases. The Kyiv-based café chain ‘Tykhoe Mesto’ reported corrupt pressure from the National Police.
“Manifesto 42 is a civic movement created to protect the right to entrepreneurship guaranteed by Article 42 of the Constitution of Ukraine.
Article 42 of the Constitution of Ukraine Everyone has the right to engage in entrepreneurial activity not prohibited by law.
The entrepreneurial activity of deputies, officials and employees of state authorities and local self-government bodies is limited by law.
The state shall ensure the protection of competition in entrepreneurial activity. Abuse of a monopoly position in the market, unlawful restriction of competition and unfair competition are prohibited. The types and limits of monopoly are determined by law.
The state protects the rights of consumers, controls the quality and safety of products and all types of services and works, and promotes the activities of consumer organisations.
Recently, business called on the authorities to urgently resolve 5 problems with bookings. Ukrainian business is also sounding the alarm about a large-scale shortage of workers. In return, the Rada passed a law on the “White Business Club” with benefits for its members.
