Bakanov and Naumov left Ukraine in six cars filled with cash few hours before invasion, - investigation. VIDEO
A few hours before the full-scale Russian invasion, the then head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Ivan Bakanov, and his deputy, Andrii Naumov, left Ukraine.
This was revealed by businessman Serhii Vaganyan in the second part of an interview with Boryslav Bereza, an MP of the VIII convocation, according to Censor.NET.
Departure of SSU leadership from Ukraine
The businessman claims that Naumov and Bakanov left Ukraine in six cars a few hours before the full-scale invasion.
"On the eve of the full-scale invasion, Bakhanov and Naumov crossed the Ukrainian border in six cars in the direction of the European Union in a matter of hours. Six cars completely packed with cash. They were not in the country," says Vaganyan.
When asked how Bakhanov was brought back to Ukraine, the businessman replied that he knew nothing about it.
"Surrender" of territories
Vaganyan also claims that Bakanov and Naumov received significant sums of money from Russian special services via third countries in order to effectively surrender Ukrainian territories.
"They received money from Russian special services through Germany, with the help of Akst (Alexander Akst, entrepreneur, ed.), as Akst has legal entities in Germany. Through Germany and Cyprus, they received a very large sum of money for surrendering part of Ukraine's territories. It is no secret what happened in the early days of the war in the Chernobyl area, and it is no secret how they (the Russians, ed.) entered the territory of the Kharkiv region and the territory of the Mykolaiv region," the entrepreneur said.
When asked whether the Zaporizhzhia NPP was included in these conditions, the businessman replied "yes".
"Protection" of smuggling schemes
In addition, the businessman claims that the SSU, under the leadership of Bakanov, was involved in "protecting" the smuggling of consumer goods and electronics.
"The 'Premium Package' company (owned by Akst), which was Naumov and Bakanov's wallet, was a monopoly in Ukraine on the so-called postal operator market. They smuggled all consumer goods, from clothing to cigarettes and hookah tobacco. There were even drugs... All the technology, all the iPhones sold in our country were imported through the 'Premium Package' company. When certain signals were sent to the President of Ukraine, Bakanov simply ignored them. He said that Naumov was an effective law enforcement manager," Vaganyan said.
According to him, billions of hryvnias bypassed the state budget through these schemes — the funds "settled" in the pockets of Aksta and the then leadership of the SSU.
Akst's role in the introduction of NSDC sanctions
Vaganyan also said that the smuggler Akst offered Naumov to eliminate competitors with the help of NSDC sanctions.
"Akst understood that so-called competitors were advancing, and he proposed at a meeting with Naumov at the office to impose sanctions against all these people. So that he (Naumov, ed.) would forward this information to Bakanov to agree with him. All sanctions were written in Akst's office. All sanctions were aimed at motivating Akst to take a large share of the market and become a monopolist in Ukraine's smuggling system. The motivation was very simple - more money, a larger market share, and for everything to go through him," says the businessman.
In addition, according to the entrepreneur, the NSDC sanctions were also used as a tool for "earning money." In particular, as Vaganyan said, businessman Vadym Yermolaiev "bought his way out" of the sanctions with millions of dollars and apartments.
"He gave Naumov $5 million in cash and bought Naumov and Bakanov two apartments in a building near Mariinsky Park, near the Ministry of Health, where Mindich's famous apartment is located. Everyone knows this building. Yermolaiev was not included in the sanctions list. This was in the spring of 2021," the entrepreneur said.
What preceded this?
- We will remind you that on the eve of businessman Serhii Vaganyan in an interview with People's Deputy of the VIII convocation Boryslav Bereza said that during Ivan Bakanov's tenure as head of the SSU, the service was transformed into an instrument of systematic racketeering.
- Bakanov, together with the then SSU General Andrii Naumov, who is suspected of passing confidential information to Russia, built a system of informal payments from business and trade sanctions by the National Security and Defence Council within the SSU.
- The National Anti-Corruption Bureau opened criminal proceedings into the possible receipt of illegal benefits by former top officials of the Security Service of Ukraine after public statements in the media by Ukrainian businessman Serhii Vaganyan.
