Wednesday, June 19, 2013

The pirates return...

Last November I blogged about how V.R. deputy Artem Pshonka, son of current Prosecutor-General Viktor Pshonka, was trying to seize the Mykolayiv-based 'Agrofirma Kornatskykh' agro-company by the dirtiest of means. 'ORD' website call Pshonka Jr. 'raider No.1 in Ukraine'.

The owner of the company, Arkadiy Kornyatsky, was cheated of victory in last autumn's parliamentary elections in the disputed Election Commission constituency number 132 in Pervomaysk. There was serious trouble there and Kornyatsky was forced to flee abroad for a while.

The dispute has now escalated further. Today about 80 thugs, some firing pneumatic weapons, tried to take over  the disputed agro-company's premises in the village of Chausove-2 but were beaten back.

At least five people were seriously injured. [Videos here]

Well-known lawyer and civil rights lawyer, Tetyana Montyan, has stated that the company "Partner-Agro", which is attempting to seize the 'Agrofirma Kornatskykh's property, was formed and registered in order to do this by fraudulent means and is under control of the son of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Artem Pshonka.

She provides documentary evidence of what she calls a major raider scheme in her blog here .

Veteran investigative journalist Volodymyr Boyko, in a television appearance, claimed that
the organizers and sponsors were known to him - they were Prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Pshonka and his son - Artem Pshonka....

During the raid, police were nowhere to be seen, but there were reports they had assisted the raiders' column of combine harvesters approach the site.

In response, the governor of Mykolayiv oblast, Yanukovych-appointed Mykola Kruglov, claims the company no longer belongs to the Kornyatsky's. If this is the case, why the piratical, violent raid? Why not use legal means to regain control?

This saga 'has legs' and will run and run...

How can the EU sign any Association Agreement with Ukraine while these kind of events, of which there are many - some involving the highest in the land, continue to take place? Who is going to invest in Ukaine's big hope for the future - its agro-industry?


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