Media: The Vasylkiv Tragedy Aftermath Fund turned out to be a project by lawyer Pavlo Kuftyryev

Media: The Vasylkiv Tragedy Aftermath Fund turned out to be a project by lawyer Pavlo Kuftyryev

Around the situation with the large-scale fire at the oil depot near Vasylkiv (40 km from Kyiv), which occurred in June 2015, genuine legal and corruption passions have flared up. This is stated in a journalistic investigation that aired on the NewsOne TV channel.

It is about the "Vasylkiv Tragedy Consequences Overcoming Fund" and the individuals behind it – Oleh Vernyk, Oleksiy Frantsuz, and Pavlo Kuftyryev.

"The idea supposedly was noble: the Fund demanded moral compensation in the amount of 2.7 billion UAH for its members and filed a lawsuit. But the activities of this structure and its organizers raise many questions," the investigators note.

According to attorney Maryna Sakhoshko, it is strange why the lawsuit was filed only three years after the incident in Vasylkiv, and "why the individuals who believe they suffered some moral distress did not turn to the courts earlier, to the representatives of the company that owned that oil depot, or to other relevant authorities." Currently, there is no logical answer to these questions.

The journalists note that the Fund itself was created two years after the fire. Its organizer, Oleh Vernyk, had never lived or been registered in Vasylkiv. It is he who is trying to claim almost 3 billion UAH into his organization’s account, but ostensibly acts on behalf of local residents. Meanwhile, the compensation amount for each "victim" turned out to be the same after conducting the so-called psychiatric evaluation. Thus, the credibility of the “moral compensation” calculation is also in doubt.

At the same time, the Desnyanskyi District Court of Kyiv made the only legal decision in this case and dismissed the Fund’s claims. Vernyk’s business plan did not work, the journalists state.

And as it turned out, Vernyk is not an independent player in this situation, because "renting offices and hiring an army of lawyers is not cheap."

"Behind the Vasylkiv Tragedy Consequences Overcoming Fund are lawyers Oleksiy Frantsuz and Pavlo Kuftyryev, who are unknown to the wider public. The latter has been acquainted with Vernyk since their student days. This is evidenced by their co-authorship in a scientific work. Moreover, Kuftyryev has been spotted in raiding activities. In particular, the management of the pharmaceutical plant "Darnytsia" claimed that he was behind the attack on the strategic enterprise," the report states.

The journalists also discovered that Kuftyryev is associated with many similar structures that "fight" for ecology and overcome the consequences of disasters.

"A similar development is observed in the case of the Fund: under the guise of people and supposedly good intentions, an army of lawyers, attorneys, and pseudo-activists simply overwhelm the courts with various lawsuits, demanding money. One such similar organization is the ’Green Fund.’ Its leader is Oleksiy Frantsuz. And among the co-founders is the same Oleh Vernyk. The directions of activity are similar – ecology and ’protection’ of the environment," the investigation states.

Куфтырев, Мережко и Бондаренко

According to journalists, another leader of this Fund is Oleh Bondarenko, a deputy from the "Servant of the People" party and head of the Parliament’s environmental committee.

"Moreover, the political lobbying in the new parliament in the interests of Kuftyryev and his numerous organizations can also be carried out by Oleksandr Merezhko. Before starting work in the Parliament, he transferred another NGO, the Institute of Direct Democracy, to Kuftyryev, where Frantsuz is also among the founders," the anti-corruption activists claim.

As the journalists summarize, whether Kuftyryev, Frantsuz, and Vernyk will continue their active public activities will be shown by time. However, having their people in the new government may open up new opportunities for them.