Former coordinator of the "Big Construction" programme is involved in new state procurement worth billions of hryvnias, despite an NABU criminal case and his departure abroad.
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Despite a prolonged investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), former coordinator of the state infrastructure programme "Big Construction" Yuriy Holik remains an active participant in the state procurement market. An investigative report by NGL.media revealed that new flows of budget funds have formed around the case subject, directed towards the implementation of projects in the most sensitive areas.
The investigation began in May 2023, when NABU investigators stopped Holik's car and seized two iPhone smartphones. After unlocking the devices with the help of foreign partners, internal bureau documents, rulings, and screenshots of correspondence containing case materials in which Holik himself was involved were found. According to journalists, this information was passed on by an advisor to the Office of the President, Hryhoriy Birkaze. Birkaze himself confirmed to the publication "Glavkom" that he had shared correspondence with Holik, received from sources in law enforcement agencies.
This incident led to personnel changes and new searches. Specifically, on 3 September 2024, the First Deputy Director of NABU, Hizo Uhlava, was dismissed due to pressure on a whistleblower detective, although Uhlava himself denies his guilt. Searches were also conducted at the premises of detective Valeriy Polyuga and Birkaze. Bihus.info suggested that Birkaze might have been "selling" information to Holik himself. The head of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP), Klymenko, acknowledged that the investigation is hindered by the subjects' awareness. Despite more than two years having passed, no public accusations have been made against anyone.
Yuriy Holik, through his lawyers, is attempting to initiate a criminal case against the NABU detectives themselves, but the Higher Anti-Corruption Court (HAC) is refusing these motions. In June 2024, after searches were conducted, Holik left Ukraine through the "Shlyakh" system. He crossed the border as a volunteer driver for the "Songs Born in ATO" foundation, carrying a disability certificate. His place of residence is Austria.
Bureaucratic obstacles may have been the reasons for the delay in the decision to issue a suspicion. The conclusion of the State Audit Service (DASU) in this case was not signed for a long time. According to a source from the publication, Finance Minister Marchenko, who has known Holik since their time in cycling, did not allow the DASU leadership to sign this conclusion. Although this claim has not been officially confirmed, it explains why the investigation is stalling, considering that NABU does not have its own experts.
After "Big Construction," new large state projects have emerged around Yuriy Holik. The first area is the creation of "Veteran Spaces." NGL.media found out that a typical project was ordered by the "Songs Born in ATO" foundation, established by former officials of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration during Resnichenko's leadership. This is the same foundation through which Holik left the country.
The project financing is significant: 446 million hryvnias have been allocated for the first seven facilities, and another 1.1 billion hryvnias is planned for 15 facilities. In total, the construction of 161 facilities is envisaged for an amount of approximately 12 billion hryvnias. Journalists point to inflated prices. Holik confirmed his acquaintance with Deputy Minister Baidachny and his connection with the foundation, but denies his involvement in the project.
The second area is the National Military Memorial Cemetery. The consortium "Building UA," which won the tender for an amount of 1.75 billion hryvnias, was established on 4 July 2024, i.e., the day after the tender was announced. The chief architect of the sketch, Serhiy Derbin, has been collaborating with Holik since 2018, and Hryhoriy Birkaze consulted on this project.
In addition to infrastructure projects, Holik publicly promotes the STING line of drones, calling them a development by "his team of engineers" (delo.ua). The question remains open as to who legally supplies these devices to the state and through which tenders this is happening, which requires verification in the Prozorro system.
It is worth noting that since 2025, complaints have been filed with Google under the DMCA standard to remove publications about Yuriy Holik. Old texts are being erased from the network, while new budgets continue to be utilised.
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