Zelensky’s friend’s TV company received 341 million hryvnias from the budget and stopped working after Mindich’s escape
The production company “Kinokit”, which previously produced content for the parliamentary TV channel “Rada” as part of the telethon, has ceased operations. Most employees were laid off, studios and rented premises were emptied, and equipment was removed in mid-January.
This is reported by the publication “Detector Media”.
According to the publication’s sources, the company has paid off its employees and has effectively stopped operations. Among those laid off is the editor-in-chief of Kinokita, Natalia Yastrubenko.
No official explanation was given for the reasons for the termination of the collective’s work. The employees were only informed that this was due to the fact that the Rada TV channel did not announce an art competition. They did not explain why the competition did not take place.
The last broadcast of the Rada TV channel, which was produced by Kinokit, was on December 31 – it was a final news broadcast. After that, the channel has been broadcasting only a telethon for about a month.
People’s Deputy from “European Solidarity” Iryna Gerashchenko recalled that over several years the company “Kinokit”, associated with businessman Timur Mindich, received 341 million hryvnias from the state budget.
According to her, the funds were allocated without an open competition, and cooperation with the production has raised numerous questions since 2021. Gerashchenko also spoke about political censorship and the use of budget money for information attacks on the opposition, raising questions about responsibility for the decisions made.
The company “Kinokit” was founded in 2017. It has been participating in public procurement since 2019 – after Volodymyr Zelensky’s team came to power. In particular, the production provided the technical organization of the president’s press marathon in 2019 and the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence.
At the end of 2021, Kinokit received its first major contract from the Rada TV channel – 9 million hryvnias for the development of a new concept and programs. At that time, the company’s founders changed: Yulia Drozdova, who previously worked as a legal advisor for a company associated with Timur Mindich, co-owner of the Kvartal 95 studio and a close friend of the president, became the owner.
As previously reported, NABU and SAPO sent documents for Interpol to put businessmen Timur Mindich and Oleksandr Zukerman, defendants in the “Midas” case regarding corruption in the energy sector, on the wanted list.
We will remind you that only 19% of Ukrainians surveyed believe that President Volodymyr Zelensky was unaware of corruption in his environment and was not involved in the “Mindich scheme.”
Also follow “Pryamim” on Facebook , Twitter , Telegram , and Instagram.