Ihor Kononenko

Ihor Kononenko
Ігор Кононенко
People's Deputy of Ukraine
Assumed office
27 November 2014
Personal details
Born Ihor Vitaliyovych Kononenko
(1965-08-21) 21 August 1965
Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Political party Petro Poroshenko Bloc
Spouse(s) Liliya Kononenko
Children Vitaliy, Darya, Olha
Alma mater Kiev Automobile and Highway Institute

Ihor Vitaliyovych Kononenko (Ukrainian: Ігор Віталійович Кононенко; born 21 August 1965) is a Ukrainian businessman and politician.

Kononenko is a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada (8th convocation) since November 2014, first deputy chairman of the Bloc "Solidarity", a close friend of Petro Poroshenko. He often referred to as the gray eminence of the Ukrainian president.[1]

Biography

After graduation in 1982 at the 45th secondary school in Kiev, Kononenko studied at the Automobile and Highway Institute in Kiev (KAHI; currently called the National Transport University). From 1984 to 1986, he served in the Soviet Army, where he met Petro Poroshenko.[2][1] In 1989, he graduated with honors in the Kiev Automobile and Highway Institute with a degree in Economics and Management in Transport. From 1988 to 1990, he worked as secretary of the Komsomol committee in the KAHI. From 1990 to 1991, he was deputy director of the structural unit of the city headquarters of the student brigade. From 1991 to 1994, he worked as commercial director in two companies – MP "Transport" and JSC Exchange House "Ukraine". From 2004 to 2009, he was chairman of the supervisory board of a transport company (OJSC "Kiev Motor Transport Enterprise – 2240") in Kiev[3].

Business career

Kononenko owns an PJSC Closed Non-diversified Corporate Investment fund VIK, which manages seven companies. Since 2012 he is a chairman of the supervisory board of its fund[4]. Kononenko is the most important business partner of Petro Poroshenko and worked as a chairman of the supervisory board in Poroshenko's company[5]

Kononenko was also a member of the supervisory board and worked in Poroshenko's companies, such as CJSC Ukrainian Industrial and Investment Concern (member of the supervisory board in 1994–2005, first deputy and general director in 2009–2012), Bogdan Motors, Sports-health complex "Monitor" and International Investment Bank. In the latter, Kononenko is a minority shareholder (owner of a 14.92% stake).[6][2]

In the declaration of 2015, Igor Kononenko indicated the following companies in which he was the head or investor: Shipbuilding plant "Leninskaya Kuznitsa" (Kiev), International Tennis Academy, Medservice Plus, Promavtomatika, European House, Kievgate Investment, Treck Holding Coast S.L. (Spain), Lancashire Big (Spain), Treck Holding Limited (Gibraltar), Vnesheconomservis LLC, RI-SYSTEM LIMITED, Peskovsky glass manufacturing plant (jointly with Petro Poroshenko), Sports and recreational complex "Monitor" (jointly with Poroshenko), insurance company "Kraina" (jointly with Poroshenko), AK Bogdan Motors (jointly with Poroshenko), International Investment Bank (jointly with Poroshenko), Non-diversified investment fund VIK.[7][8][9]

Offshore company Intraco Management Limited, which The Guardian newspaper links with Kononenko and Poroshenko, is engaged in trade with food and fuel produced by the Moscow refinery (owned by Gazprom). According to The Guardian, Intraco transferred money to the daughter of Kononenko, Darya. Intraco Management Limited also pays for the maintenance of a private airplane on which Petro Poroshenko is flying. The company was founded in 2002.[10][11][12]

Controversies

On 8 February 2016, deputy Yehor Firsov left the parliamentary faction of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc in the Verkhovna Rada because of position in the conflict between the Minister of Economic Development Aivaras Abromavičius and Ihor Kononenko.[13] Firsov also said that he does not want to remain in the party and the faction whose leaders are engaged in "corrupt activities".[14][15]

On 15 June 2016, journalist and People's deputy Serhiy Leshchenko said that the issue is being discussed in the United Kingdom and the United States about putting Kononenko under sanctions. "I am concerned about the possibility of Mr. Kononenko in the future to freely travel around the world and dispose of his money, because the issue of international sanctions regarding him is no longer a joke, but seriously negotiated in European capitals," Leshchenko said.[16][17][18]

In September 2016, Serhiy Leshchenko blamed Ihor Kononenko, Alexander Granovskiy and Mykola Martynenko for organizing an information attack on him, which consisted in disclosing confidential information about the purchase of his apartment.[19][20][21]

Earlier, in March of the same year, Leshchenko told the media that President Petro Poroshenko personally asked him not to write articles on "members of his family", to which he attributed Viktor Shokin and Ihor Kononenko: "Last time when he proposed not to write about Shokin and Kononenko, he said that they were members of his family; that, in principle, he supports my criticism of Kolomoyskyi, but if I write about the man of his family, I must ask his opinion. I asked who he had in mind. I do not touch his wife."[22][23]

In November 2016, the former President of Georgia and ex-Governor of Ukraine's Odessa Oblast, Mikheil Saakashvili, accused Ihor Kononenko and his colleague Alexander Granovskiy for being instructed by president Petro Poroshenko to prepare the question of depriving of his citizenship of Ukraine.[24][25][26][27]

Earnings

According to the electronic declaration, in 2013, Ihor Kononenko officially declared UAH 30 million.[1]

In an e-declaration for 2015, Ihor Kononenko indicated salaries in the Verkhovna Rada of UAH 77,772. From the VIK Foundation, Kononenko received dividends of UAH 14 million. Kononenko declared real estate objects (7 land plots and 6 apartment buildings in Kiev and the Kiev Oblast) for a total of more than 1.8 billion hryvnias. He also declared USD 928 thousand, € 965 thousand, and 6 628 000 hryvnias in cash.[7][8][28] The deputy owns a land plots of 4654 m² and 2255 m², as well as apartment buildings with an area of 1643.6 m² and 36.6 m². The cost of the first house in the Kiev's elite area "Tsarskoe Selo" is estimated at UAH 244 million, and cost of the site is UAH 105 million. In addition, Kononenko has an apartment of 236.6 m² (worth of UAH 7.07 million) and Mercedes-Benz GL 600.[29]

In an e-declaration for 2016, Kononenko showed a total income of UAH 14,743,000. As a deputy he earned in the Verkhovna Rada UAH 161 thousand, he also had UAH 82 thousand as a percentage of the deposit in the Ukrsotsbank. From the VIK Foundation, Kononenko received dividends of UAH 14.5 million. On the account in the Ukrsotsbank he had UAH 2 million.[30][31]

According to the declaration, Ihor Kononenko owns the following companies:[32][33][34][35]

Companies controlled by Igor Kononenko
  • Ship building and armament company Leninska Kuznia (Kiev)
  • International Tennis Academy, LLC
  • Medservice Plus
  • Promavtomatika
  • European House
  • Kievgate Investment
  • Treck Holding Coast S.L. (Spain)
  • Lancashire Big (Spain)
  • Treck Holding Limited (Gibraltar)
  • Vneekonomservis, LLC
  • RI-SYSTEM LIMITED
  • Peskovsky Glassware Factory (together with Petro Poroshenko)
  • Sports and recreation complex "Monitor" (together with Petro Poroshenko)
  • SK Kraina (together with Petro Poroshenko)
  • Automobile-manufacturing corporation Bogdan Motors (together with Petro Poroshenko)
  • International Investment Bank (together with Petro Poroshenko)
  • JSC Closed-end non-diversified corporate investment fund "VIK"

Awards

  • Honorary weapon – Fort-21.02 pistol with 15 bullets (27 December 2015)[36]

Personal life

Kononenko is married to Liliya Kononenko (born 1966) and has three children: two daughters (Darya, Olha) and one son (Vitaliy).[32] Vitaliy Kononenko works as Sports director of the Sports school "International Tennis Academy", which until 2015 was the children's pioneer camp "Yunga" at the plant "Leninskaya Kuznitsa". After the reconstruction in 2015, the sports school has become a closed tennis club, which is a violation of Ukrainian law. The Law of Ukraine "On Physical Culture and Sport" forbids tuition for training in children's and youth sports schools.[37][38][39]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Тінь президента: хто такий Ігор Кононенко?" (in Ukrainian). BBC. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  2. 1 2 Serhiy Leshchenko (16 May 2014). "Порошенко і порожнеча" (in Ukrainian). Ukrayinska Pravda. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  3. ↑ "Ihor Kononenko" (in Russian). 112 Ukraine. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  4. ↑ "Public Joint Stock Company Closed Non-diversified Corporate Investment fund VIK". pep.org.ua. 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  5. ↑ Julia Smirnova (4 February 2016). "Wichtiger Reformer rechnet mit Poroschenkos Staat ab" (in German). Die Welt. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  6. ↑ Anastasia Ivantsova (7 September 2015). "Чим володіють та на що впливають бізнес-партнери президента при владі (розслідування)" (in Ukrainian). Radio Liberty. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Перегляд декларації" (in Ukrainian). Unified State Register of Declarations. 29 October 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Кононенко показав акції низки підприємств і нерухомості на майже 2 мільярди" (in Ukrainian). Espreso TV. 29 October 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  9. ↑ Oleksandr Sivachuk (29 October 2016). "І.Кононенко отримав торік понад 14 млн грн дивідендів" (in Ukrainian). УНН. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  10. ↑ Luke Harding (4 April 2016). "Ukraine's leader set up secret offshore firm as battle raged with Russia". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "Связанная с Кононенко и Порошенко фирма торгует с Газпромом" (in Russian). Strana.ua. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  12. ↑ "Порошенко таки причастен к оффшору, торгующему с «Газпромом»" (in Russian). Ukrayinska Pravda. 10 May 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  13. ↑ Pavlo Vuyetsʹ (12 February 2016). "Егор Фирсов: То ли президент не разобрался в ситуации, то ли он будет покрывать Кононенко до последнего" (in Russian). Glavcom.ua. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  14. ↑ "Нардеп Фирсов вышел из БПП «из-за коррупции и Кононенко»" (in Russian). RIA Novosti Ukraine. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  15. ↑ "Нардеп Фирсов вышел из БПП" (in Russian). LB.ua. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  16. ↑ "В Европе уже обсуждается применение санкций к ближайшему соратнику Порошенко" (in Russian). Strana.ua. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  17. ↑ "Лещенко: В Европе уже обсуждают санкции против Кононенко" (in Russian). 112 Ukraine. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  18. ↑ "США и Британия могут арестовать счета и отменить визы близкому к Порошенко олигарху" (in Russian). Political Izvestia in Ukraine. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  19. ↑ "Лещенко заявил, что его атакуют Кононенко, Грановский и примкнувший к ним Мартыненко" (in Russian). Strana.ua. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  20. ↑ "Лещенко пожаловался на слежку и намекнул на людей из окружения Порошенко" (in Russian). TSN. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  21. ↑ "Лещенко: За антикоррупционерами ведется слежка" (in Russian). Ukrayinska Pravda. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  22. ↑ "Порошенко просил Лещенко не писать о Шокине и Кононенко" (in Russian). Strana.ua. 29 March 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  23. ↑ "Порошенко просил Лещенко не критиковать членов его семьи" (in Russian). Podrobnosti.ua. 29 March 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  24. ↑ "Михо заявил, что банда «Порошенко-Кононенко» хочет лишить его украинского гражданства" (in Russian). Strana.ua. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  25. ↑ "Саакашвили узнал о намерении Порошенко лишить его гражданства" (in Russian). TASS. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  26. ↑ "Саакашвили: Хорошо информированный источник сообщил мне, что Порошенко поручил лишить меня гражданства через суд" (in Russian). gordonua.com. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  27. ↑ "Саакашвили рассказал о планах Порошенко лишить его гражданства Украины" (in Russian). RBK Group. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  28. ↑ "Декларация Кононенко: 77 тыс грн зарплаты и недвижимости на 1,8 млрд" (in Russian). RIA Novosti Ukraine. 30 October 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  29. ↑ "Особняк Кононенко за 244 миллиона гривен находится в Царском селе" (in Russian). Strana.ua. 1 February 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  30. ↑ "Кононенко задекларировал почти 15 млн гривень доходов и пальто с мехом норки" (in Russian). Dzerkalo Tyzhnia. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  31. ↑ "Декларация Кононенко: 15 миллионов дохода и пальто за 200 тысяч" (in Russian). Ukrayinska Pravda. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  32. 1 2 "Перегляд декларації" (in Ukrainian). Unified State Register of Declarations. 27 March 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  33. ↑ "Кононенко задекларировал почти 15 млн гривень доходов и пальто с мехом норки" (in Russian). Dzerkalo Tyzhnia. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  34. ↑ "Декларация Кононенко: 15 миллионов дохода и пальто за 200 тысяч" (in Russian). «Украинская правда». 29 March 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  35. ↑ "Кононенко задекларировал почти 15 млн грн доходов" (in Russian). capital.ua. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  36. ↑ "Полторак подарил Яценюку "любимое оружие гангстеров"" (in Russian). Ukrayinska Pravda. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  37. ↑ "Друг Порошенко вместо детской спортшколы открыл элитный фитнесс-клуб для своего сына" (in Russian). Strana.ua. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  38. ↑ Maksym Savchuk (17 June 2016). "Родинна гра Кононенків (розслідування)" (in Ukrainian). Radio Liberty. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  39. ↑ "Скандальний Кононенко замість безкоштовної спортшколи для дітей збудував дорогий тенісний клуб - ЗМІ" (in Ukrainian). 1+1 / TSN. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
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