Several remarks on Kostyantin Zhevago's detention
I am writing because he is often called the owner of the Espreso TV channel. He is not. The Espreso TV co-owner is Ivan Zhevago, the adult son of Kostyantin.
The ownership of the channel is transparent, information about it is published on the website. The editorial policy of Espreso does not depend on the owners. Espreso is regarded by experts and viewers as a source of reliable information.
Zhevago himself is a former politician. He was a deputy with the Reforms and Order party, which was a partner of the Chornovol Movement and Batkivshchyna. And he was never in any pro-Russian political force.
He was considered one of the wealthiest sponsors of the national-democratic forces. If he was in the Opposition Platform For Life if he had been then no one would question him, just as no one questions the Opposition Platform For Life oligarchs. Forbes recognized Zhevago as the youngest self-made billionaire. His father was a security engineer, and his mother was an English teacher. He graduated from both school and university with honors. Zhevago earned money by being the first in Ukraine to take the Poltava mining and benefaction plant that he once bought from the Russians Ginner and Babakov to the London Stock Exchange. In this way, he created one of the first public companies, the co-owners of which are mostly US and EU citizens and funds. Apple and Musk's businesses, for example, are also public companies. This is what distinguishes Zhevago from other oligarchs who received funds from the budget and spent them opaquely. That is why these companies do not enter the well-known stock exchanges, because they cannot and do not want to be transparent.
Ferekspo became the reason for the persecution of Zhevago. Ukrainian courts have illegally annulled the contract for the purchase of the plant from the Russians, signed more than 20 years ago. All statutes of limitations for consideration of such matters have passed. Did the Russians win? Yes, but not only them. According to the press, Kolomoiskyi's people as well. What a coincidence). But stealing a public company from the London Stock Exchange is difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to pursue Zhevago to take away his shares.
What are they accusing Zhevago of? Incorrect expenses of the bank where he was the owner. Zhevago himself did not make any expenses, but the bank found itself in a difficult situation due to the fact that the shipyard in Crimea and factories in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions were taken by the aggressor and could not repay the loans. Maybe there were violations by the bank. But these are business cases, not criminal ones. It is important that Zhevago's accusations have not been proven by the court, and preventive measures have been determined by the "most honest" Pechersk court for the third time.
Zhevago is being pursued by Ukraine's State Investigation Bureau which is fully controlled by the president's office. The same body that reprimands Tetyana Chornovol and Sofya Fedina and which had no transparent competition for the manager positions.
Evidently, Zhevago made many mistakes. I would, even with that kind of money, definitely change my lifestyle when there is a war. Zhevago helps the army and displaced persons a lot, has many awards from the military leadership and the mayors of the affected cities. But this is not a reason to flaunt his capabilities.
The persecution of Zhevago will definitely end badly not for him (although there is little good for him either), but for those who illegally initiated it. Times have changed, stereotypes, values, behavior must change. Kostyantin himself must change them, and even more so those who, on the order of the oligarchs, lies about him in order to help rob him.
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