Judge Romanyuk's seven and a half million

The elegant villa, formerly owned by the city community, was in the hands of a Lviv judge's father. The public organization participated in the scheme of alienation. And for the implementation of the scheme, funds from Judge Romanyuk's gift - seven and a half million hryvnias - were used.

And I have a strange dream:

- It seems that the judge of Lviv, Sergei Lesnoy, is staring dreamily from the window of one of the three family apartments in a mansion on Kvitnevaya Street. In addition, at a large playground children play, then running, then running out of the neighboring luxury villa, where the kindergarten is located.

- It would be nice if the grandchildren were studying there, a nice kindergarten, - says Judge Lesnoy to his son-in-law, Judge Romanyuk..

- What are you, Daddy, so that our descendants are from such a judge-dynasty family - and to go to the garden together with ordinary mortals? It would be that in this villa and on the ground - and they are the only ones - Mykhailo Romanyuk responds with fire in his eyes.

- And why, this is an option! Spit once, let's do it. -

And that's when my dream ended …

The Mission of Good

A few months ago, a judge of the Lviv Region Court of Appeal, Mykhailo Romanyuk, filed a notice with the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption about significant changes in property situation. The man indicated that he had received a land parcel from the Lviv City Council for the value of UAH 198,228.

It was this judge's step that made it possible to finally understand who was probably “standing” in the scheme to outing of the communal property of an elegant villa measuring 467.9 square meters and an adjacent land plot of 1 471 square meters in the cozy place.

(Judge of the Court of Appeal of Lviv Oblast Mykhailo Romanyuk (screenshot with video)

For the first time, the general public learned about the existence of this large villa in 2013. At the time, many were surprised by the news that Lviv Polytechnic National University refused to use this building on 6, Kvitneva Street.

Since there was a kindergarten earlier, and there are no enough establishments in Lviv, it would be logical for the city authorities to resume pre-school education here.

However, the “Lviv Polytechnic” refused from premises at the end of February 2013, as the non-governmental organization “Mission of Good” Aid Fund appeals to the Lviv City Council on April 23. With a request - to give them a villa for carrying out statutory activity.

The Mission of Good could not be known to the general public, for the reason that the NGO was registered only one day before the appeal to the Lviv City Council.

Despite this, the Lviv City Council, in its decision in May, decides to rent the villa to these "missionaries of good.

By the way, nothing about their public activity can be found today: neither about their actions, website, or even their phone number.

Agree that this is an extremely telling fact, for a non-governmental organization that requires a villa for its statutory activity.

The real scandal over this building erupted in January 2015. As the online edition "Our Money. Lviv ” wrote, “ The deputy of the Lviv City Council Valery Veremchuk stated that during the session on January 29, the deputies were handed over for approval the changed list of objects of communal property of Lviv subject to privatization by way of ransom…

- A week ago, we were given a list of 33 properties with a total area of ​​approximately 1300 square meters. In the morning, during the session, we were given a new listing, which added 7 objects of 1600 sq.m. These objects could not be explored in detail, but they are very interesting, "Valery Veremchuk told the online edition "Our Money. Lviv".

As it turned out, one of these added properties was a villa on April.

However, the scandal did not last long and already on March 19, 2015, the Lviv City Council adopts the decision # 4434 “On approval of the list of municipal property of Lviv subject to privatization by way of ransom”. And among the 58 properties is a villa.

Why did they sued?

Meanwhile, the Municipal Property Office of the Lviv City Council, to some extent, appeals to the Lviv City Council.

Officials are trying to declare it illegal and cancel the decision of Lviv city council № 4434 of 19.03.2015, in the part of privatization of 4 premises out of 58. Among them is the building of the villa.

In support of their claims, representatives of the Municipal Property Office of the Lviv City Council submit act # 1211-NP / 14 dated September 24, 2014 on conducting the object inspection. This document states in particular that the premises are not in use.

But Stepan Kossak, judge of the Commercial Court of Lviv region, denies the lawsuit.

In particular, the court decision of 21 June 2016 stated that “no evidence of the use of this premises for more than three months and accordingly its termination by court by the plaintiff…

In accordance with paragraph 2.1. These premises are used by the tenant for statutory activities. The non-governmental organization “Mission of Good” Aid Fund provided explanations for the claim and documents proving the statutory activity at the time of drafting, in particular the protocol of the General Meeting of April 24, 2014, dated November 17, 2014, ”the court found.

Finally. We were able to confirm the Mission of Good's activities. Two protocol of the general meeting !!!

The mere fact that the Municipal Property Office of the Lviv City Council has sued does not necessarily indicate that the officials tried to prevent privatization by buying out the villa.

Because such a course of events may indicate that the parties thus sought to obtain the necessary court decision, which in the future would be a guarantee against the prosecution of the new owners by law enforcement agencies. Now, for any accusation, the Mission of Good could safely pull out a court decision - they say - everything is legal.

And having received the necessary court decisions, the Mission of Good goes to the finish line and in September 2016, receives from the Lviv City Council the decision No. 842, which approves the valuation of the villa - 7 126 320 UAH.

Noble gesture

At this stage in the development of the storyline, by all rules of the genre, should appear the protagonist. For it would be ridiculous to assume that such money would be found in two co-founders of Mission of Good, a public organization, without a site, a telephone number, and the only confirmations of the activity were two protoco of the general meeting.

Outside the window of September 2016. Almost everyone forgot about the communal villa scandal. The judge of the Court of Appeal of Lviv region Mykhaylo Romanyuk enters the game.

(Judge of the Court of Appeal of Lviv Oblast Mykhailo Romanyuk (screenshot with video)

In his 2016 declaration, the judge notes that his wife, Elena Romanyuk, is lending their 7 million 200 thousand hryvnias. This family money goes to the NGO "Mission of Good".

Further developments, of course, become predictable to banality. Shortly after the villa is purchased, Mission of Good, in February 2017, submits to the Unified State Register the decision of the founders (participants) to liquidate. And in July 2017, a record appears in the Unified State Register on the termination of NGOs.

What about the villa? According to the decree №240 from 07.06.2017 of the Frankivsk district administration and the contract №506 on the division of an apartment building, issued on 14.06.2017 by private notary G.Maksyonoм, a villa (already in the form of two residential buildings) is already the property of the judicial spouse.

Thus, according to an excerpt from the State Register of Real Property Rights of 19.06.2017, an apartment building of 215.7 square meters. 6a Kvitneva St. is the property of Olena Romanyuk. A residential building of 252.2 square meters. 6, Kvitneva St. - is the property of Judge Mykhaylo Romanyuk.

That is, if we add the area of these two houses - we get the total area of the villa - 467.9 square meters.

It is also interesting that according to the available documents, Sergey Merza was the authorized person of Mykhailo Romanyuk and his wife, the person who, for example, applied for an extract from the State Register of Real Property Rights. The same lawyer represented the interests of NGO "Mission of Good" in court.

And why did they share the house?

Public activist and journalist Viktor Chernomsky has sought the decision of the Lviv City Council dated 27.01.2000 № 474.

(Viktor Chernomsky, human rights activist)

The decree provides for permanent use a land plot of 1518 square meters. m for kindergarten service on the 6, Kvitneva street , for Lviv Polytechnic State University.

Instead, Mission of Good only bought the apartment building itself. Without land.

Becoming its owners, the judge's spouse, took up the land.

Free land gived in good hands

On September 14, 2017, the Lviv City Council adopts Resolution No. 2437. Deputies remove from the use of the National University "Lviv Polytechnic" a land plot of 0.1518 hectares on 6 Kvitneva St..

By the same decision, a number of citizens are given ownership of land. In particular, Olena Romanyuk receives 735 square meters of land on 6 Kvitneva St. Judge Mykhailo Romanyuk - 736 squares - on 6 Kvitneva St.

So the land plot, which is for some reason less than 47 square meters smaller than it was removed from the university, was divided and handed over to the judicial spouse..

At my request, the Land Resources Department of the City Planning Department of the Lviv City Council informed me that these land plots were provided free of charge.

It becomes obvious why the judge and his wife arranged the separation of the villa. After all, communal land, each of them, was allocated for the maintenance of an apartment house. According to the current legislation, citizens can for free transfer to the property for this purpose no more than 1000 square meters.

Therefore, 471 square meters would have to be bought.

And so, the house was divided into two, wife took the land near one house, and the judge took the land near second house.

By the way, at an estimated cost, only the land plot of Mykhaylo Romanyuk is worth UAH 198,228.

And then - the final chord.

According to information from the State Register of Real Property Rights and the Register of Real Estate Property Rights, as of January 22, 2018, the owner of both of these dwellings and both land is - Feodosiy Romanyuk. Our judge's father. Both one and the other apartment buildings were presented to him on October 20, 2017.

And already on November 10, Feodosia Romanyuk concludes land purchase and sale contracts. According to a report to the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, about significant changes in the property situation, Judge Romanyuk sold his land to his father - 736 squares - for 198 228 hryvnias.

As a result of all the described events, the father of a judge of the Court of Appeal of Lviv Oblast became the owner of the once unified building and land.

• The price paid for the villa - 15 230 UAH per square meter - is very low. In such an area, and such a building, the real market value is much higher. And additionally - for free - land from the City Council. It's a penny, ridiculous, it's nothing - just nothing, says Anatoliy Semeniuk, in the past an employee of the Lviv City Council Communal Property Department, who described the story .

(Anatoliy Semeniuk, public activist (screen shot of video of ZIK channel)

He explains that similar schemes with NGOs are not new in Lviv. After all, using them, the tenant receives a priority right of redemption - without conducting a commercial open auction. And besides, the guarantee of the lowest appraised value.

- In order not to be widely publicized, NGO are used - their documents are quickly examined. The usual schemes of seizure of communal property which made large-scale damage to the city have long been known in Lviv, ”Anatoliy Semeniuk concludes.

Seven and a half million hryvnias

Probably, Mykhailo Romanyuk did not expect that someone so meticulously analyzes the whole chain of events. But now, instead, the judge is likely to have to explain something to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine. Where I sent all the available information.

Because there is in the Criminal Code of Ukraine Article 368-2, which provides for criminal liability for illegal enrichment. Part 1 of this Article states what it is about: “the acquisition by a person authorized to perform the functions of state or local self-government in the ownership of assets of a considerable size, the legality of the grounds for the acquisition of which is not substantiated by evidence, as well as the transfer of such assets to any other person ”.

Here's what I remember: Mykhailo Romanyuk, in his 2016 declaration, stated that his wife had borrowed 7 million 200 thousand hryvnias of their joint family funds to the NGO "Mission of Good".

Mykhailo Romanyuk indicates that he received a slightly larger sum - he received UAH 7 million 500 thousand as a gift. And the money was donated to the judge by his father - Theodosiy Romanyuk.

To believe in such things the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine will be able only when well they want.

Because Theodosius Romanyuk, according to the Unified Register of legal entities and natural persons was not an entrepreneur, and is not a co-owner of any serious business structures. He is only one of the 24 founders of the cooperative, with a contribution of 0 UAH.

According to information that is freely available on the Internet, the judge's father turned 77 last year.

Therefore, the origin of 7 million 500 thousand hryvnia in Feodosia Romanyuk should raise a lot of questions for law enforcement.

Add to that the man also bought two plots of land. Only son's land, cost the judge's father over 198 thousand hryvnia.

At the same time, according to the information from the State Register of Real Property Rights and the Register of Property Rights to a Real Estate Citizen, with the same surname, first name and patronymic, as in the judge's father, in September 2015 bought an apartment on Rubchaka street, with an area of ​​121.5 square meters, and in January 2016 - a parking space at the same address.

Judge Sergei Lesnoy. The father-in-law

And about my dream, from which I started the article. He was inspired, probably, by that events and facts.

Mykhailo Romanyuk's father-in-law is the chairman of the Sikhiv district court of Lviv, Serhiy Lesnoy. Olena Romanyuk is his daughter. Sergiy Lesnoy has been managing this court since 2003. And the mantle he has worn since 1990.

(Head of the Sikhiv District Court of Lviv S.Lesnoy (photo from the web portal Judicial power of Ukraine)

In 2008, Sergiy Lesnoy was involved in the scandal. Then the Lviv media spread the text of an open address of the Committee of Entrepreneurs of Lviv region, signed by the then chairman - Mykola Orenchuk. As reported by ZIK.UA, the appeal stated in particular:

“… Not so long ago, Judge Sergei Lesnoy, started a new project: an“ attack ”on the residents of a five-apartment mansion in Lviv on Kvitneva street. Representatives of the controlling bodies (police, tax service, etc.) unexpectedly began to carry out "checks" on the activities of (especially professional) apartment owners with the message that such "troubles" could end if they sold their apartments to Sergiy Lesnoy. Under such purposeful organized pressure, the owners of the three apartments were forced to sell their apartments to the person from his family. However, the judge's hand "swung" at the whole house and takes steps to "convince" the disobedient owners of the last two apartments ... ".

Checking this information, I took an extract from the State Register of Real Estate Property Rights and the Register of Property Rights to Real Estate of a Citizen. As of January 21, 2018, Sergiy Lesny and his wife on Kvitneva street owned three apartments. One, which was previously owned by the judge's mother, was inherited by him. Two other apartments - and here it is interesting - to the chairman of the Sikhiv district court of Lviv and his wife ... were presented. On the same day in August 2004. All three of these apartments are in a neighboring mansion with our long-suffering villa.

Of course, I wrote a request to Sergei Lesnoy, and asked him, in particular, to inform: under what conditions the apartments were donated; confirm or refute the information and whether the judge had any relation to the villa on 6 Kvitneva street.

I also wrote a request to Judge Mykhailo Romanyuk. I requested to inform where his father took 7,500,000 hryvnias; why they decided to lend a family money to the Mission of Good and for what purposes; what was the reason of separation of the villa.

I received virtually similar answers from both judges, almost word for word.

Father-in-Law Lesnoy and son-in-law Romanyuk wrote that “… the information you requested does not meet the requirements of the Law of Ukraine“ On Access to Public Information ”, but contains a request for comment on the information already displayed and documented by you, which is contained in published by way of declarations and corresponding registers. "

And just below, they added "that judges cannot fulfill the duties of stewards of information."

Come on, we'll be glad

Well, quite at the end. To make everyone happy for the Lesnoy's family. But some of the benefactors gave them apartments on Kvitnevaya Street. And in 2009, Galina Lesna, the judge's wife, became the owner of a four-room apartment measuring 148.6 square meters. On Kotlyarevsky Street. And the value in the State Register of Real Property Rights is indicated. Just over 39 thousand hryvnias. It's for the whole apartment.

Yeah, that's about 263 hryvnias per square meter.

And for my son-in-law, Mykhailo Romanyuk, you can also be genuinely pleased. Because, according to his declaration, since 2011, one venerable philanthropist, aged 78 at the time, gave the judge the right to use her car - Mercedes-Benz, model GLK 300.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine has enough informanion for check.

07.01.2020