"Servant of People" Arakhamia used cars of oligarch Kaufman, who is suspected of corruption
The head of the presidential faction "Servant of the People" David Arakhamia used the cars of Odesa businessman Borys Kaufman to cross the border at least 4 times after the start of the full-scale invasion. Currently, Kaufman is a defendant in criminal proceedings of the NABU and the SAPO.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Bihus.Info.
According to Bihus.Info, in August 2022, Arakhamia and his wife left Ukraine for Moldova in a black Toyota sport-utility vehicle registered to Borys Kaufman's wife. They returned in a Mercedes bus owned by the company where Kaufman is a co-owner. We are talking about a large tobacco distributor, Tedis Ukraine.
Arakhamia used the same Mercedes two more times - in October 2022 and in August 2023 - to return to Ukraine from abroad.
In his comments to journalists, the MP confirmed the use of Kaufman's cars, explaining that he could not travel abroad in his own car because of the tinted windows: "I get to Odesa and then ask him: "Give me a car to go to Chisinau". It's a very domestic situation."
Arakhamia noted that he has known the Kaufman family for more than 10 years. They last met in Odesa at the businessman's birthday party in November.
When asked whether Arakhamia sees a conflict of interest in his friendship with a businessman involved in criminal proceedings by the NABU and the SAPO, the head of the presidential faction said: "As far as I know, it is NABU that is leading this case. It is an independent body. I don't think anyone in the country can say that they have any influence on NABU." He added: "If you think there is some kind of great betrayal in this, then let me not do it. I will leave, I will ask someone else from my friends in Mykolaiv."
As a reminder, Borys Kaufman is a person involved in criminal proceedings by the NABU and the SAPO. In August 2023, Kaufman was suspected in the case of seizing the property of the municipal Odesa airport and the income it brought in - UAH 2.5 billion. On September 7, the High Anti-Corruption Court took Kaufman into custody. After an appeal, in November, a HACC judge changed the bail amount to UAH 155 million and Kaufman was released from custody.
