Gaining access to the driving test at the capital's service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is nearly impossible. People camp out by the doors hoping to secure a coveted ticket, while electronic appointments resemble a lottery more than an organized system. Meanwhile, while citizens stand in line for hours, center employees are seen driving luxury cars registered to relatives and acquaintances.
Subscribe to our Viber: news, humor, and entertainment!
SubscribeJournalists from Bihus.Info conducted an investigation examining the operations of service center No. 8041 on Victory Avenue in Kyiv. They found that the shortage of tickets for exams is possibly being created artificially, as this opens opportunities for "services" from so-called "runners" who sell spots for 3,000-4,000 hryvnias.
Last year, the National Police even initiated a criminal case, but only one "runner" was punished, while other participants in the scheme – the center's administrators – managed to evade responsibility.
The center's manager, Alexander Boyko, appears to live modestly according to documents: he rents someone else's apartment in Kyiv and drives his father's 10-year-old Toyota Land Cruiser. However, his wife's Instagram features much more luxurious vehicles – BMW, Volkswagen, and Tesla. All of these are registered to her father, and their combined value is estimated in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Popular articles right now TCC is collecting files on Ukrainians: what personal information should not be disclosed Ukrainians face financial audits: what income amount will interest the tax authorities Higher education will become a privilege for the select few: universities will change their approach to education Who may be exempt from the medical commission: who will make the list Show moreOther center employees also clearly do not complain about their lives. Vladimir Naumenko, one of the administrators, arrives at work in an Audi E-Tron registered to his son. Recently, his family acquired a whole list of new properties: apartments, a cottage by the Kyiv Sea, and even several plots of land near Kyiv. All of this is, of course, missing from their declarations.
0 The family of administrator Anatoly Klimenko has acquired expensive Lexus vehicles, and supposedly, a new apartment was gifted by his retired father. Another center employee, Natalia Los, drives two Tesla cars, although her documents only list an old Dodge.
Administrator Sergey Panchenko does not list his wife in his declarations, but there is a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado parked at the center registered to a woman he frequently appears with in "family" photos. A house in an upscale cottage village near Kyiv is registered to Panchenko's mother, while his father recently became the owner of another Land Cruiser Prado.
1 Inspector Vadim Chistyakov now drives a Volkswagen ID.4 Crozz, registered to a woman who also does not appear in his declarations. Inspector Andrey Kukhielny is known for regularly buying and selling cars at undervalued prices. He is currently driving a Tesla Model 3, which is also not mentioned in his declaration.
Center head Alexander Boyko attempted to explain the ticket shortage issue. According to him, there are too many people in Kyiv wanting to take exams, and there aren't enough inspectors. However, he could not clarify why the ticket issuance system operates at night when, according to the official version, it should be turned off.
Following the investigation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced a change of leadership at the center and initiated an internal investigation. The ministry also requested the National Agency for Corruption Prevention to conduct a lifestyle audit of the employees mentioned in the journalistic piece.
2 Journalists indicate that the issues within the service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs extend far beyond a single institution. While people suffer from disorganization, hackers and "runners" profit, and the system becomes increasingly corrupt.
What is needed to resolve these problems? There is no answer yet, but one thing is clear: public trust in the operations of service centers is diminishing with each passing day.