Boguslavets demands Klymenko's dismissal from NSDC following NABU revelations

Martina Boguslavets, head of the International Anti-Corruption Group (MEZHI), stated that Denis Klymenko, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC), must be immediately dismissed from his position. This demand emerged against the backdrop of NABU releasing recordings featuring the former Interior Minister.

Deals with a drug cartel

According to NABU's exposé, Klymenko, who was the Interior Minister at the time of the events, proposed to the "Khimprom" drug cartel to share the profits. Under the terms of the deal, half of the profits were to be divided between the cartel and the ministry.

The recording features the voice of Andriy Osipov, known as "Kryminal", one of the founders of the criminal organisation. He describes the offer he received from the minister:

«По К** (міністр - прим.) смотрі, што ані мнє прєдлагают. что они мне предлагают. Ані говорят давайтє ми зайдьом в партньорскіє, ми всє будєм, нікто нє будєт газавать, ні** (інший міністр - прим.), ні он, канкурєнтов здушим…» (Look what the minister is offering me. What they are offering me. They say let's enter into a partnership, we will have everything, no one will be snitching, not [another minister], not him, we will crush the competitors… – trans. Ukr.)

Expectations from the President

Martina Boguslavets emphasised that she expects President Volodymyr Zelensky to make a decision to remove Klymenko from the position of NSDC Secretary. She stressed that society has already been acquainted with the compromising material.

«Годі нас тримати усіх за дурнів, бо ми бачили і слухали плівки», – наголосила голова МЕЖІ. (Stop treating us all like fools, because we have seen and listened to the tapes, – the head of MEZHI emphasised.)

As previously reported, the recording also features drug cartel leader Yehor Levchenko, known by the nickname "Mexican". He discussed bribing Klymenko to prevent the initiation of a ban on the chemical formulas of narcotic substances produced by the group. This allowed the criminals to continue calmly selling their products in the U420 store chain.