"Give figure today - in November you will take money": in Holyk’s phone they found correspondence with contractor who received tenders for 4 billion from the state - mass media
Yurii Holyk, a former official of the Dnipro Regional State Administration and ideologue of the 'Big Construction' movement, corresponded with the former owner of the construction company Stroyinvest, which has received over UAH 4 billion from the state for various construction works in recent years.
This is stated in an investigation by Bihus.Info, Censor.NET reports.
As a reminder, Yurii Holyk is a consultant to Big Construction and a former adviser to the head of the Dnipro Regional State Administration, Valentyn Reznichenko. In November 2022, investigative journalists published information that the co-owner of one of the companies that received billions of dollars in contracts from the state as part of the Big Construction was Yana Khlanta, a fitness trainer and close friend of Valentyn Reznichenko. The investigation was then taken over by NABU detectives, who conducted a series of searches, including at Yuriy Holyk's place. In May 2023, two mobile phones were seized from him, which later caused another scandal - related to the possible "leakage" of investigation materials from the NABU to Golik himself.
However, the content of the phones was not limited to this, as the files contained correspondence with another large contractor, which began to receive state orders in the Dnipro region very actively after the Reznichenko-Golik team arrived there, and after Golik took over the Big Construction program, he began to work within this program as well. We are talking about the company SC Stroyinvest, owned for a long time (and probably still owned today) by businessman Denys Ostrovsky. From 2016 to the present day, the company has received almost UAH 4.5 billion from the state for work on several projects.
These are the messages that are mentioned in the correspondence with Denys Ostrovsky that was found on Golik's phone. In them, the sender, who is most likely Holyk himself, gives instructions on how to receive subventions and also demands reports on work at specific locations. The tone of this correspondence suggests that Ostrovsky is actually playing the role of a subordinate in this process. In particular, one of his messages reads"I understand the task. It will be done".
Recreating the chronology of events, the journalists concluded that in cases where the sender told Ostrovsky about potential future subventions, Stroyinvest did receive either additional funds for work or wins in tenders in the future. For example, one of the messages to Ostrovsky reads, "I'm waiting for a figure today. If you don't give it today, the next subvention is in April. If you give it today, you will get the money in November." The message sent in October 2021 concerned a specific object - a new cultural center in Kaniv, Cherkasy region. In November, a new tender was announced for work on this cultural center. The cheaper offer was rejected, and Stroyinvest was declared the winner.
It is ironic that the company continued to receive significant government contracts despite several scandals it was involved in. These included criminal proceedings related to possible embezzlement.
It is also interesting that after the start of the full-scale invasion and the decline in the relevance of the Big Construction, Yurii Holyk, according to journalists' sources, began to deal with the reconstruction of the facilities damaged and destroyed by the Russians in the President's Office. In 2023, Stroyinvest began the reconstruction process. In particular, they were commissioned to carry out construction work in Zaporizhzhia and Borodianka, Kyiv region. Subsequently, journalists found significant overpayments included in Stroyinvest's estimates.
Recently, the company has returned to major contracts in the Dnipro region. Recent photos of the facilities being built by the company for public funds show that Ostrovsky only formally withdrew from the company's ownership and continued to represent it in the future.
This is not the only connection between Holyk and Ostrovsky that journalists have found. For example, Ostrovsky, along with developing his business in Ukraine, also set up a company in Austria. ODM BAU & Investment is registered in Vienna. The journalists found out that it is run by a local lawyer, Sergey Bakharev, who confirmed that Ostrovsky is indeed his client. Bakharev is also involved in another company here, DEVERTE HOLDING GMBH. For a long time, through another Ukrainian company, it has been a co-owner of a part of the Creative States coworking network, in which Yuriy Golik has a significant stake. Denis Ostrovsky decided not to comment on the situation. Yuriy Golyk said that he did not remember such correspondence, but he communicates with a large number of people, can express his opinions or advice in this communication, and"worry about some projects that he considers important for the country or a region". The Big Construction ideologue stressed that he does not receive any material benefit from this.
What do you know about Holyk?
Golik is known to have been a consultant to Big Construction and a former adviser to the head of the Dnipro Regional State Administration, Valentyn Reznichenko. The latter is suspected of abuse of power and fraud with budget funds.
In November 2022, investigative journalists found out that the co-owner of Budinvest Engineering, fitness trainer Yana Khlanta, who received billions for road repairs as part of the Big Construction, is the girlfriend of the head of the region, Valentyn Reznichenko. The journalists also discovered facts of joint trips abroad by Reznichenko, Holyk, and Khlanta.
Following the publication, the SAPO and NABU launched an investigation. Detectives also searched the home of Yuriy Golik, a consultant for Velykyi Stroitel.
In October 2023, Bihus.Info journalists found out that Holyk continued to travel to Bankova Street despite the scandal with the fitness trainer and billions spent on road repairs.
On 23 May 2024, the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office conducted searches at the home of a NABU employee suspected of abuse of office.
According to media reports, the reason for the searches was the disclosure of pre-trial investigation data by NABU representatives in the interests of, among others, businessman Yuriy Holyk, who is involved in the Velykyi Stroitel case.
