On Feb. 8, lawmaker Serhiy Leshchenko published a Viber chat between Aivaras Abromavicius, ex-economy minister, and Andriy Pasishnik, the executive director of Naftogaz Ukraine.
The screenshot shows Pasishnik was confident about getting installed as deputy economy minister, without Abromavicius’ consent, because of a decision made by President Petro Poroshenko's Bloc in parliament, which includes Leshchenko.
Pasishnik, in turn, said the screenshot doesn’t prove anything because Leshchenko published only a part of the conversation. To prove he is innocent, Pasishnik also published a screenshot from the start of the Viber chat with Abromavicius. However, his screenshot only proves Leschenko’s accusations.
In Leschenko’s version, Abromavicius wrote there was no place for another deputy, but Pasishnik was undeterred.
“Kononenko invited me. He said he reconciled my appointment with the Prime Minister,” wrote Pasishnik, in reference to Ihor Kononenko, a lawmaker and close Poroshenko ally, and Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the prime minister.
“Would they mind to reconcile it with me?” asked Abromavicius in turn.
A screenshot of the Viber chat between Aivaras Abromavicius, ex-economy minister, and Andriy Pasishnik, the executive director of Naftogaz Ukraine, lawmaker Serhiy Leshchenko published on Feb.8
Pasishnik wrote on his Facebook that in Viber chat, published by Leshchenko, he discussed with Abromavicius only the possibility to divide the one chair of his deputy between two people in future.
Abromavicius wrote him that the only vacancy he had is a chair of the deputy regarding defense questions. But Pasishnik wanted to become a deputy on state enterprises questions.
A screenshot of the Viber chat between Aivaras Abromavicius, ex-economy minister, and Andriy Pasishnik, the executive director of Naftogaz Ukraine, Pasishnik’s version, published on Feb.8
“I am the scapegoat in the dirty political game. Have no wish for further excuses,” wrote Pasishnik.
Abromavicius resigned on Feb 3, saying that he and his team of young Western-educated reformers didn’t want to be a cover for corruption, which continues in Ukraine, he said. He singled out Kononenko.
In his official statement, Abromavicius said that he doesn’t want to be a puppet for power brokers and named Kononenko, the deputy head of the presidential bloc, as one of those brokers.
His resignation triggered a public backlash and the start of an investigation of Kononenko by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau.
Kononenko denied Abromavicius’ accusations against him but agreed to step down from his post as deputy faction leader. However, some people are demanding his resignation from parliament altogether.
Pasishnik even “left all the documents about his appointment on the reception desk so that minister could have a look at,” Leshchenko wrote.
Pasishnik deleted all the messages from chat with Abromavicius, but the ex-economy minister made copies, Leshchenko said.
However, the screenshot published by Pasishnik proves shows that he did not delete the chat.
Kononenko wanted to have his own man in the Economy Ministry in order to control two state-owned energy companies, Naftogaz Ukraine and UkrGazdoDycha.
