“Scandal at the next meeting of the Temporary Investigative Commission (TCC) – instead of testifying about the pressure on the Civic Council, the head of the DEJURE foundation, Mykhailo Zhernakov, turned the meeting into a brazen show. The meeting of the TSC, to which Mykhailo Zhernakov was invited on Tuesday, December 9, had a specific purpose: to check the public accusations of corruption and abuse of influence, which were brought against him by his colleagues in”, — write on: ua.news
Scandal at the next meeting of the Temporary Investigative Commission (TCC) – instead of testifying about the pressure on the Civic Council, the head of the DEJURE foundation, Mykhailo Zhernakov, turned the meeting into a brazen show.
The meeting of the TSC, to which Mykhailo Zhernakov was invited on Tuesday, December 9, had a specific purpose: to check public accusation in corruption and abuse of influence, which were brought against him by his colleagues in the public sector and former members of the Public Integrity Council.
Zhernakov appeared accompanied by a lawyer (whose powers expired the very next day), and categorically refused to sign a receipt on the obligation to give truthful testimony, explaining refusal that it contains “a lot of untruths”. What’s more, he demonstratively belittled the powers of people’s elected officials: “If the prosecutor sends me for beer, he has the same powers as TSK.”
For what purpose did they invite Zhernakov
The suspicions of the members of the TSK against Mykhailo Zhernakov arose without reason – article in “Ukrainian Pravda” about the subjectivity of the GRD, later they were strengthened by the statements of former members of the GRD: Voloshina, Katerychenko, Piskunova, Yankina, who also previously invited for testimony at the TSC meeting, and finally public accusations of pressure, blackmail and financial ties of members of the GRD to the DeJure Foundation.
Therefore, the members of the TSK had to find out whether all this was true or slander. For this, it was enough to receive clear and understandable answers from Zhernakov. However, they did not hear any specific one. Pozayak Zhernakov from the very beginning stated that “the TSC does not have the authority to investigate the GRD” and often repeated that the members of the TSC “exceed the mandate and put pressure on the judiciary.”
And despite Zhernakov’s constant emphasis that the commission does not press charges against him, but only verifies what his colleagues have already publicly said and published in the media, the head of the DeJure Foundation accused members of the TSK of a “farce”, “circus”, calling the deputies present “Gestapo from AliExpress”, “Ukrainophobes” and “traitors”.
Instead of a thousand answers
The most telling moment was… the speech of Vladimir Putin, which Zhernakov turned on right in the middle of the meeting, as if to demonstrate that the members of the TSK, as well as the main enemy of Ukraine, are “muddied” by the abbreviations NABU, SAP, VAKS, and therefore everyone who criticizes these bodies or the State Security Service is allegedly playing into the hands of the Kremlin.
The commission quite logically posed a counter question: who does Zhernakov himself work for in this case, reducing any control to the “hand of the Kremlin”?
This question was rhetorical and did not need an answer. Instead, to a number of other questions, namely:
- Did the DeJure Foundation receive a grant to finance the GDR secretariat?
- Were pre-prepared lists of people to vote for distributed?
- Did Zhernakov appeal to “friendly” NGOs with a request not to support specific candidates (Voloshina, Katrychenko)?
- Why did a number of candidates withdraw right before the vote and attribute it to pressure from DeJure?
- Did DeJure disburse funds to third- and fourth-term GDR members?
- Why, according to the declarations, is Zhernakov’s income as a sole trader (722,000 UAH) significantly different from the previous year (181,000 UAH)?
- Did he, as an FOP, receive money from DeJure as its executive director?
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It is not TSK’s business
Zhernakov did not give a single direct answer to all questions regarding suspicions of pressure on the Civic Council of Integrity, improper use of charitable funds and financing of the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. However, he was forced to confirm one key fact: namely, he admitted that the DEJURE Foundation transferred funds to members of the Supreme Council of Justice. However, he immediately changed his answer, saying that he does not remember.
In his opinion, all financial data related to the payment of taxes, expenses of the organization and distribution of funds are confidential information and “not TSK’s business”. He also stated that he cannot be a corrupt official, because “he is not an official, official”.
Now TSK is determined to continue the investigation despite the sabotage and scandalous attempts at pressure by the Executive Director of DEJURE.
Meanwhile, TSK promises new scandals regarding the High Anti-Corruption Court (HCC). These and other issues, corrupt authoritarianism and the need for urgent legislative changes were discussed in interview with Serhiy Vlasenko.
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