Leros releases latest recordings alleging presidential corruption

MP Geo Leros released on Oct. 2 his latest batch of
incriminating recordings alleging corruption in the Zelensky administration,
this time of a mobile phone conversation between Kyiv construction kingpin
Denys Komarnytskiy and Mykola Tyshchenko, the deputy head of The People’s
Servant parliamentary faction. In a video presenting the recordings, Leros
alleges they prove that Komarnytskiy gained cover, or protection, for his
corrupt business dealings from the President’s Office with the help of
Tyshchenko. In return, Komarnytskiy proposes financing the creation of a group
of MPs, with The People’s Servant faction, who are loyal to the president.

In one of the recordings, the voice alleged to be Komarnytskiy’s
thanks the voice alleged to be Tyshchenko’s for helping to get dropped a
criminal case alleging corruption in the current construction of a bridge in
Kyiv. In another recording, Komarnytskiy allegedly tells a People’s Servant MP
that “the matter flew up to the first-in-charge,” while an unidentified voice
adds, “Andriy (Yermak) got involved, thank God.”

Leros said the recordings were made while Komarnytskiy
was speaking on his mobile phone with Tyshchenko by officers with the Security
Service of Ukraine (SBU), who were investigating corruption in the Kyiv
mayorship. “Komarnytskiy was targeted by searches related to corruption on the
Voskresenskiy Bridge. He contacts his partner Tyshchenko, who extinguished this
case with the help of Zelensky and Yermak, for which (Kyiv’s) overseer is very
thankful for,” Leros said in his narration. Komarnytskiy and Tyshchenko have
had business projects together, Leros pointed out, including a fancy
restaurant. He said he has submitted his evidence to the National
Anti-Corruption Bureau.

In response to Leros’s latest accusations,
presidential spokeswoman Yulia Mendel said her office will allow law
enforcement authorities to assess the evidence behind the allegations rather
than commenting directly. “The publicized recordings feature conversations of
individuals who don’t have any relation to the President’s Office. They feature
a subjective, offensive thought of a private individual, who mentions the
surnames of third parties who are not related to the discussion. Law
enforcement bodies are supposed to be involved with these issues. The
President’s Office can’t offer a qualified assessment of any audio or video
materials, moreover interfere with in the activity of law enforcement bodies,
which are supposed to be transparent,” she told the pravda.com.ua news site.

Zenon Zawada: It’s
difficult to confirm the verity of Leros’s corruption claims, since the
recordings were certainly edited, possibly in an unfair way, or possibly taking
phrases out of context. Nonetheless, the latest “Leros leaks” is that the
Zelensky administration is being challenged by individual factions within law
enforcement, particularly the SBU and certainly the National Anti-Corruption
Bureau (NABU). The president’s enemies have decided to make Leros a funnel for
all their incriminating leaks of evidence alleging corruption. And as a result,
Leros has become recognized to be among the Zelensky administration’s leading
critics and enemies.

As with Leros’s earlier leaks, we don’t expect these
to lead to any criminal prosecution. We are confident that Leros is aware of
this. Instead, he understands that his main mission is to chip away at the
Zelensky administration’s public image. He is doing a fairly good job, though
the Zelensky administration has been just as effective at shooting itself in
the foot by generating so many corruption claims against it.

Indeed at this point, the evidence is mounting that
the Zelensky administration is indulging in corruption. Rather than pursuing
the long and difficult task of structural reforms, Yermak and Tyshchenko have
adopted the same approach as their predecessors in the Poroshenko presidency.
This is doing the minimum to satisfy Western demands in order to secure
financing, while making loads of money off corrupt schemes for as long as
they’re still in office. Also similar to the Poroshenko administration, they
are cutting tacit deals with Ukraine’s pro-Russian forces.

What this means ultimately is Zelensky’s team has
little to offer the country in terms of progress with reforms, and it is
counting on the public’s ignorance and fear of further destabilization to
remain in power for as long as possible (which is also similar to Poroshenko’s
approach). The main difference this time is that it’s been six years of warfare
and patience is wearing thin for the Russians, the West and even the Ukrainian
public, which is gradually losing its infatuation with Zelensky’s celebrity.