Scandals surrounding the Mayor of Irpin, Oleksandr Markushyn, are being systematically erased from the internet. This became evident through a Google search. Upon entering “Oleksandr Markushyn” and navigating to the News tab, Google reveals that some publications have been hidden.
By following the link, one can see that an article about the scandal involving Irpin’s reconstruction—where journalists discovered that Markushyn’s inner circle received half a billion hryvnias for the effort—has been removed.
This information is further corroborated by the publication Parliament.ua, one of whose articles was also taken down. According to the outlet, this “internet cleanup” appears to be orchestrated by Markushyn’s associates.
“It is clear that we are dealing with a well-known fraudulent scheme utilizing DMCA—the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Scammers have been using this tactic for years to launder the reputations of corrupt officials, criminals, and various fraudsters in Google search results. This service costs as little as $200 on the Ukrainian black media market and leaves a trail, including notifications sent to the publication through Google Console. This is the work of black PR agents who file fake complaints and lawsuits about content their clients dislike,” Parliament.ua reports.
Notably, several articles have been removed from search results, including those published on the Moya Kyivshchyna website. Complaints were filed against these materials by individuals named Oleksandr Koval and Anatoliy Ondar. Their identities and reasons for defending Markushyn’s reputation remain unclear.
The editorial office of the information portal Moya Kyivshchyna also received a request from the office of the Mayor of Irpin, Oleksandr Markushyn, demanding the removal of articles covering the activities of Markushyn and his team. This may indicate that the mayor is preparing for upcoming elections, which are increasingly being discussed in political circles.
As revealed through correspondence, Markushyn’s team decided not to spare the funds misappropriated from the community. Paying $2,000 to delete a single exposé article about their “boss’s activities” seemed like a reasonable expense. The authors of the information portal highlighted the same team’s extravagant salaries of 200,000 UAH and bonuses of 100,000 UAH in these very articles.
The articles targeted for deletion detailed exorbitant salaries and bonuses for executive committee staff, corruption schemes involving the embezzlement of public funds, scandals surrounding the city’s reconstruction involving companies close to the mayor, and the misuse of the municipal budget to finance political PR campaigns.
Corruption and Business Pressure
It was previously reported that Markushyn demanded apartments from developers in exchange for avoiding issues with construction permits.
Major Scandals in Recent Years
- Land Fraud: The subcontractor “BK Big Bud Invest” was at the center of attention, receiving hundreds of millions of hryvnias from the budget for infrastructure restoration.
- Business Pressure: A construction company accused the mayor of blackmailing them into providing housing in exchange for permit documents.
- Lavish Lifestyle: Markushyn rents a villa with a pool and trampoline, despite his official income not supporting such expenses.
- Disregard for Veterans’ Issues: The mayor has refused to sign decisions aimed at supporting veterans.
Andriy Litvinov, a deputy, commented on yet another scandal, claiming the mayor threatened him after he opposed allocating an additional 19 million UAH for executive committee salaries. He stated that such actions are unacceptable and reflect a lack of willingness to collaborate with the public openly.
For further details on these and other scandals, read the following articles:
Mayor of Irpin Markushyn Demanded Apartments from a Construction Company – Official Statement
With a Pool and Trampoline: Journalists Discover the Rented Villa of Irpin Mayor Markushyn
Anti-Corruption Day: Cases Involving Irpin Mayor Markushyn
Mayor of Irpin Markushyn Lies About Addressing Veterans’ Issues – Council Secretary Makeyeva
Irpin City Council Deputy Reports Threats from Mayor Markushyn