According to emeconomy.com, Ukraine's parliament has one again decided to delay until June 20 the consultations on the formation of a new coalition. This come as the ex-communist nation has been in parliamentary limbo since the March 26 vote created a deadlock, as the pro-Russia Party of Regions finished 10% ahead of its nearest rival in the vote but has been frozen out of the coalition-building process as three other movements sought to do a deal.
It should be mentioned that the former coalition collapsed amid accusations of corruption.
Ironically, the name of one member of Party of Regions was in recent years linked to corruption cases. However, so far Kostyantyn Valentynovych Zhevago has not faced criminal prosecution and under the current political conditions it is unlikely to happen soon.
Zhevago is prominent Ukrainian banker, politician and businessman. Despite the positive press coverage he often receives by the Ukrainian press, independent sources insist Zhevago developed his business empire through multiple breaches of Ukrainian law. In the past six years, the ways of Zhevago and his partners have drawn the attention of Ukrainian law enforcement systems. These methods include, among others, unfriendly takeovers, tax avoidance and offshore schemes.
Zhevago was a charter member of ZAO Hermes Invest Holding, ZAO Finance & Credit, and Director of ZAO F & C Realty, which is a charter member of Finance & Credit.
Zhevago's rise started in 1993 while he was in the second year at the Kiev Institute of National Economy. He became financial director of ZAO Finance and Credit when he was 19. He became a parliament deputy at the age of 24, i.e. in 1978. He earned the title "chief renegade" - as a person who would often change his political loyalties, political patrons and factions.
According to Uhainian Pravda, Zhevago, together with his college mate Sergey Cberep, set up the companies "Ikset" and "Roveks". "Roveks" later became one of the founders of Finance and Credit share holding company. And the first property in Switzerland was "SW Investments", which took some interest in "Legion-95".
Sources in Ukraine claim that surprising court judgments are Zhevago Group's winning card. In cases, his Group faces difficulties to gain the right to enterprise it wants, it usually gets the support of judges. This was the case with Luganskoblenergo.
The Group not only has a powerful and sufficient team of lawyers but it also boasts contacts with judges involved in the business arena. Sources note that the Group's management is longtime acquaintances with Elena Umnova, a judge of the Pechersky court, and her ex-college Ana Chohitok who worked in the same court. In particular, one of the judgments made by the Pechersky Court gave Zhevago access to Objedinenie Azot Sources in Ukraine claim that Zhevago, with the help of judges, has forced the Ukrainian government approve the results of fulfillment of investment obligations by his companies, while those obligations were not fulfilled.
Sources claim Zhevago has been involved in money laundering but this was never approved. These sources claim Zhevago was close to former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko who in 2004 was convicted by a U.S. jury on extortion and money laundering charges. While in charge of the Cabinet, Lazarenko reportedly took control over many lucrative business projects and charged 50 percent of profits for his patronage. (source: emeconomy.com)
