Tymoshenko installed Andriy Portnov as new chief of State Property Fund (Update)

Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko installed Andriy Portnov as new chief of the State Property Fund of Ukraine on Friday morning.

According to an UNIAN correspondent, she claimed this to a press conference today.

Yulia Tymoshenko noted that A.Portnov, as of today, is acting SPFU chief.

Yulia Tymoshenko also emphasized that A.Portnov was appointed as the acting SPFU chief in line with the law.

“I arrived to the State Property Fund this morning together with A.Portnov. It was guarded in a strengthened regime by presidential guards, every half an hour presidential orders were announced through loudspeakers, about how to defend the SPFU from the Prime Minister. Nevertheless, we held a session, giving orders to all department heads, all deputies, and SPFU began to operate normally”, Yulia Tymoshenko informed, having specified that the orders through loudspeakers were announced by not the President, but by employees of his Secretariat. The loudspeakers were also installed in the SPFU room, where the Prime Minister held the session.

The Prime Minister noted that V.Semeniuk-Samsoneko was also present at the session. Yulia Tymoshenko stressed that the previous leadership of the State Property Fund was given all documents, confirming that V.Semeniuk-Samsoneko, as of today, was removed from the post of the SPFU chief, until the official investigation into her activities is completed.

Asked why media were not invited at the installation of the new SPFU chief, Yulia Tymoshenko said: “I just did not think there would be any problems”.

Yulia Tymoshenko expressed a hope that the President will not undertake any steps, confronting the government’s decision on the State Property Fund. “Frankly speaking, I do not think the President will defend the corruption. I’m convinced that the President will fight against the corruption, and, then, we should call Mrs.Semenyuk-Samsonenko to account”, Yulia Tymoshenko emphasized.

She recalled that on February 6 of the current year, the government decided to remove Valentyna Semeniuk-Samsonenko from post of State Property Fund chief. However, as early as on 7 February, President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko suspended the government’s decree on removal V.Semeniuk-Samsonenko from the SPFU chief post.

Yulia Tymoshenko disclosed that on April 24, the Okruzhny administrative court of Kyiv ruled to suspend the President’s decree concerning V.Semeniuk-Samsonenko, and suspended all decrees of V.Semeniuk-Samsonenko concerning the cancellation of the Odessa Pre-Port Plant privatization.

According to Yulia Tymoshenko, the government appointed Andriy Portnov as acting SPFU chief, because over the last ten years SPFU was a “stronghold of corruption in state property”. Yulia Tymoshenko pointed out that recently V.Semeniuk-Samsoneko “yielded in a shadow regime” “Arsenal” plant to certain circles, having signed an agreement on common activities. Namely this triggered the decision to remove V.Semenyuk-Samsonenko from the post, Yulia Tymoshenko said.