Today, on International Anti-Corruption Day, we want to recall the main corruption crimes of the Mayor of Irpin, Oleksandr Markushyn, who is a figure in criminal cases and the organizer of schemes to embezzle funds from the local budget of Irpin, a city affected by Russian aggression and the actions of its mayor.
Manipulations with Local Budget Payroll Funds
From 2022 to 2024, Irpin City Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn created a scheme to siphon funds from the local budget for personal enrichment, the creation of a personal security team, and funding his political PR.
To implement the scheme of embezzling budget funds through inflated salaries for certain executive committee employees, Markushyn established a criminal organization involving executive committee staff, including the head of the HR department, chief accountant, economists, and others.
The funds withdrawal scheme looked as follows:
- Creation of an inflated staff schedule:
Markushyn developed a staffing schedule for the executive committee to increase the number of employees who were not actually working but were assigned salary positions. Deputies of the Irpin City Council have already filed statements about Markushyn’s criminal offense, as they did not vote for the new “inflated” staff schedule of the executive committee. - Approval of inflated bonuses:
Markushyn signed decisions to award bonuses exceeding 100% of the salary to selected executive committee employees. The bonus approval documents contained forged signatures of the Executive Committee Secretary, D. Negresha, who has already filed a corresponding statement with the National Police in Kyiv Oblast. - Submission of forged timesheets:
To obtain budget funding for inflated salaries, Markushyn submitted attendance records to the treasury with forged signatures of Deputy Mayor L. Mykhalchenko. - Unjustified salaries exceeding national leadership wages:
Certain executive committee employees were paid higher salaries than national leadership. In 2023, HR Department Head Tamara Khalaim received almost 150,000 UAH monthly, three times the mayor’s and his deputies’ salaries. Accounting Department Head and Chief Accountant Khrystyna Hluzhanets received over 110,000 UAH monthly. In 2024, the system administrator earned 145,000 UAH per month. - Kickbacks to the mayor:
Employees receiving unjustifiably high salaries returned part of the funds to Markushyn. Around 40 executive committee employees were involved in this “salary scheme.” - Total embezzlement in the post-liberation recovery years:
During the post-deoccupation reconstruction of Irpin, approximately 17 million UAH was embezzled in 2023 alone through salary manipulations. - Use of embezzled funds for PR:
Markushyn used the embezzled community funds to finance a so-called “mayor’s press service” with “envelope payments” to journalists, writers, cameramen, editors, photographers, etc. Additionally, media materials for self-promotion and smear campaigns against opponents were paid for.
Manipulations with Budget Funds of Municipal Enterprises
- Municipal Security Service (“Munitipialna Varta”):
In 2022-2023, funding for this enterprise was increased to 25 million UAH on Markushyn’s initiative, despite its actual operational need being 11 million UAH.
- Out of the annual 25 million UAH, over 7 million was spent on salaries for municipal security staff. The remaining funds were embezzled through “ghost employees.”
- Numerous inquiries from deputies, lawyers, and journalists about employee details, salary payments, and bonuses remain unanswered.
- On April 29, 2024, a criminal offense report (Part 1, Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) was filed with the Kyiv Oblast National Police.
- “Irpinvodokanal” and “Teploenergopostach”:
Both enterprises listed over 50 “ghost employees” who did not actually work but received inflated salaries and bonuses.
- Multiple inquiries regarding employee details, salary payments, and bonuses were ignored.
- Additionally, these enterprises purchased goods (mainly pipes and components for pump stations, water mains, heating systems, sewage systems, etc.) that were either not delivered or involved systematic “kickbacks.”
Embezzlement Through the Municipal Program “Turbota”
In 2022-2023, Markushyn initiated an increase in budget funding for the comprehensive program “Turbota” to 35-37 million UAH annually.
The funds embezzled through the “Turbota” program were used by Markushyn to buy the loyalty of deputies. For instance, over 300,000 UAH was allocated to City Council Deputy Artem Hurin and his family members.
Criminal Proceedings
Irpin City Mayor Oleksandr Hryhorovych Markushyn is a subject in multiple criminal cases, including:
Under Investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation:
- Case No. 62022000000000193 (April 21, 2022) under Part 2, Article 127; Part 3, Article 146; Part 4, Article 187; Part 3, Article 289; and Part 3, Article 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (torture, kidnapping, robbery, misappropriation of property, etc.). The case concerns illegal deprivation of liberty, misappropriation of property, and theft of a vehicle by members of the Irpin Volunteer Territorial Defense Formation under Markushyn’s leadership.
Under Investigation by the National Police of Kyiv Oblast:
- Case No. 42024110000000129 (April 2, 2024) under Part 4, Article 191 of the Criminal Code (large-scale misappropriation or embezzlement during wartime or a state of emergency).
- Case No. 12023110000000665 (August 8, 2023) under Part 4, Article 191 of the Criminal Code (embezzlement or misappropriation of property through abuse of office).
- Case No. 12023111040001176 (June 13, 2023) under Part 1, Article 191 of the Criminal Code.
Under Investigation by Bucha District Prosecutor’s Office:
- Case No. 42023112320000784 (April 12, 2023) under Article 239 of the Criminal Code (illegal seizure of soil cover, creating danger to human life, health, or the environment).
Under Investigation by Bucha District Police:
- Case No. 12024111050000987 (April 2, 2024) under Part 1, Article 364 of the Criminal Code (abuse of power or official position).
- Case No. 12024111040000895 (July 25, 2024) under Part 4, Article 190 of the Criminal Code (fraud).
- Case No. 12024111040000647 (May 20, 2024) under Part 1, Article 364 of the Criminal Code.
- Case No. 12022111040000482 (June 17, 2022) under Part 2, Article 357 of the Criminal Code (theft, misappropriation, extortion of documents, stamps, seals, or damage thereto).
Land Corruption in Irpin
Allocation of Land to the Head of Volyn Regional Tax Administration, Serhiy Lysiuk
On September 6, 2024, investigative journalists from BlackBOX published an investigation into the corruption schemes of Volyn Regional Tax Administration Head Serhiy Lysiuk, titled “Serhiy Lysiuk: Land Sales at Inflated Prices and Smuggling Deals.”
The investigation revealed a connection between Lysiuk and Irpin Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn. According to the report, in May 2021, a year before the full-scale invasion, Lysiuk received a 1,200-square-meter land plot in the village of Kozyntsi, near Kyiv, for free from the Irpin City Council under Markushyn’s signature.
Context:
Irpin has one of the largest queues of war veterans awaiting land allocation, a high number of destroyed homes, and numerous internally displaced persons.
Why Did Markushyn Prioritize Lysiuk?
Markushyn and Lysiuk were classmates at the State Tax University, and their names appear side by side in the “Notable Alumni” section on the university’s website.
The journalists claim Markushyn facilitated the land allocation to help Lysiuk launder funds. The scheme was straightforward:
- Markushyn allocated a 0.12-hectare plot to Lysiuk for individual gardening.
- Lysiuk sold the plot to a front person at an inflated price to legitimize funds obtained through corruption in the tax system.
Proof of Money Laundering:
Two years later, Lysiuk sold the plot for 1,048,000 UAH (approximately $29,910), far exceeding the market price of $4,000 for similar plots in the area. This inflated transaction appears to have been a fake deal to launder illegal earnings.
According to BlackBOX, Lysiuk acquired illicit funds through shadow vodka production and car smuggling in collaboration with Taras Tsybulin, his former supervisor in the Volyn Tax Police. Together, they created a smuggling-taxation “octopus,” with Lysiuk as its central figure.
Attempted Land Theft from a Ukrainian Body Armor Manufacturer
Before the full-scale invasion, Irpin Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn attempted to transfer a municipal land plot located at the entrance to the building of NVP “Temp 3000” LLC—one of Ukraine’s largest body armor manufacturers—out of public ownership.
On December 23, 2021, at the 17th session of the Irpin City Council, Decision No. 2006-17-VIII, signed by Markushyn, granted Lesya Mykhailivna Levchenko permission to develop a land management project for a 0.06-hectare plot (cadastral number: 3210900000:01:026:0145) from the city’s reserve land.
Lesya Mykhailivna Levchenko is a proxy through whom Markushyn registers his business assets.
At a February 2024 council session, Markushyn intended to approve the land management documentation for this plot. However, the full-scale invasion disrupted these plans, as wartime restrictions prohibited the free transfer of state and municipal lands into private ownership.
The plot, located at Soborna Street 118G, at the corner of Dmyana Popova and Soborna Streets, was intended for community use. It is also part of the adjacent territory of NVP “Temp 3000” LLC, a key supplier of military equipment to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Theft of Land Near the “Kashtan” Building
The head of GRUPP 3 LLC (EDRPOU code: 31870177), according to YouControl data, is Valeriy Petrovych Kyzilov. The company, registered on April 15, 2022, primarily engages in leasing and operating owned or leased real estate, with a charter capital of 405,324 UAH. Its founders are Natalia Valeriivna Otroshchenko, Liudmyla Serhiivna Kyzilova, and Oleksandr Hryhorovych Markushyn. The ultimate beneficiaries include Natalia Valeriivna Otroshchenko, Mariya Fedorivna Markushyna, and Valeriy Petrovych Kyzilov. No information on public finances is available.
GRUPP 3 LLC owns the following assets:
- Land plot (cadastral number: 3210900000:01:016:0092), 0.0313 hectares.
- Land plot (cadastral number: 3210900000:01:016:0105), 0.01 hectares.
- A building previously situated on these plots, now demolished.
The plots are located in Irpin’s city center, at Shevchenko Street.
To expand the area for Markushyn’s construction project, city council officials falsified an appendix to Decision No. 1550-14-VIII from September 30, 2021, adding land plot 3210900000:01:016:0013 for allocation. A criminal case is ongoing regarding the forgery of this decision by Irpin City Council officials.
During the vote, Markushyn did not declare a conflict of interest and supported granting Natalia Valeriivna Otroshchenko permission to develop land management documentation for the plot in question.
Land Owned by Relatives of Mayor Markushyn
According to extracts from the State Register of Real Property Rights, Natalia Valeriivna Otroshchenko, a relative of Mayor Markushyn, owns the following land plots:
- Cadastral number: 3210900000:01:016:0098, 0.01 hectares, Shevchenko Street, 19, Irpin, Kyiv Oblast. Ownership registered on November 3, 2020.
- Cadastral number: 3210900000:01:016:0097, 0.05 hectares, Shevchenko Street, 19, Irpin, Kyiv Oblast. Ownership registered on November 3, 2020.
Shared ownership includes:
- Cadastral number: 3210900000:01:016:0009, 0.0184 hectares. Ownership registered on December 28, 2021.
- Cadastral number: 3210900000:01:016:0099, 0.0588 hectares, Shevchenko Street, 19A, Irpin, Kyiv Oblast. Ownership registered on November 3, 2020.
These plots are located in Irpin’s city center.
Theft of a Garage on Soborna Street, 107
In October 2019, Teploenergopostach LLC, under the leadership of Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Kostiuk, requested the executive committee of the Irpin City Council to approve the decommissioning of boiler room buildings at Soborna Street, 107, in Irpin.
On November 15, 2019, to clear a central city land plot, the Irpin City Council passed Decision No. 5863-74-VII, granting Teploenergopostach permission to decommission property. This included the boiler room, heating networks, meters, and panels.
On June 25, 2020, the council approved Decision No. 6648-82-VII, granting T.L. Liahera permission to develop a land management project for plot 3210900000:01:036:0005, measuring 0.009 hectares, for the construction of an individual garage at Soborna Street, 107-L.
Later, on June 17, 2021, the council passed Decision No. 1133-11-VIII to change the designated purpose of the 0.009-hectare plot to construction and maintenance of market infrastructure buildings (administrative buildings, offices, and other commercial-use structures).
Misappropriation of Municipal Property via Proxies
In 2020, Lyudmyla Hayina (wife of Serhiy Ivanovych Hayin), a close associate of Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn, purchased an office building at a significantly undervalued price. The property, located at Hryboiedova Street, 13-A in Irpin (on plot 3210900000:01:019:0110, measuring 0.01 hectares), was purchased on April 24, 2020, for 740,800 UAH—ten times lower than the market rate of $800 per square meter. Currently, ownership of the 185.2 m² building and the underlying land is equally split between Lyudmyla Hayina and Mykola Kurovskyi.
Previously, the plot housed a municipally owned boiler room.
In March 2019, Teploenergopostach LLC, led by Artur Olehovič Zahodirenko, requested the Irpin City Council executive committee’s approval to decommission the boiler room at Hryboiedova Street, 13.
On April 11, 2019, the council approved Decision No. 5037-66-VII, allowing Teploenergopostach to decommission assets, including the boiler room, heating networks, pumps, and panels.
Subsequently, the land was allocated to private ownership. Initially designated for individual garage construction, its purpose was later changed to the construction and maintenance of market infrastructure buildings.
Abuse of Office by Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn
Mayor Markushyn appears to have engaged in abuse of office through the decommissioning of municipal boiler rooms, altering land designations, privatizing public property, falsifying documents, and undervaluing assets.
For example, his close associate, Lyudmyla Hayina, owns plot 3210900000:01:104:0006 (0.01 hectares), registered on October 11, 2021. Initially allocated for individual garage construction, its designation was later changed to the construction and maintenance of trade buildings. The plot, located near Nova Poshta No. 1 on Antonova Street in Irpin’s city center, remains undeveloped, with no construction underway.