The land under the Odrex clinic in Odesa has become the subject of a criminal investigation due to possible unauthorized expansion and change of its intended purpose. Activist Oleh Mykhailyk links this to the political cover-up by former deputy mayor Mykhailo Kuchuk, brother of the clinic's founder Leonid Kuchuk.
The land under the scandalous Odrex clinic on Rozkydailivska Street in Odesa has become the subject of a criminal investigation. Law enforcement officers are checking facts of possible unauthorized expansion of the land plot and changes to registers without legal grounds. Against the backdrop of this case, Odesa public activist Oleh Mykhailyk said that "land schemes" in Odesa have been possible for years only due to political cover, in particular from former deputy mayor Mykhailo Kuchuk. How the family connection between the founder of Odrex and a local official could contribute to the development of Odrex's medical business, read in the UNN material.
At the heart of the story with the plot on Rozkydailivska 69/71, where the scandalous Odrex clinic is now located, there may be a corruption scheme, the implementation of which began back in 2007. At that time, the plot with cadastral number 5110137500:15:002:0003 and the building on it were acquired by the sewing factory LLC "Acacia Factory". The land was allocated for industrial needs.
Despite the intended purpose, already in 2012, instead of textile warehouses and sewing workshops, a private medical institution Odrex began its activities on the territory. It was in 2012 that the change of the intended purpose of the building on the land plot in the registers could have occurred – from "non-residential buildings and structures" to "non-residential buildings and structures of a healthcare institution" and the illegal expansion of the plot, which law enforcement officers are investigating.
Legally, it looked like the Odrex clinic was renting premises from LLC "Acacia Factory". However, as UNN previously reported, the landlord and tenant are essentially the same people. After all, the beneficiaries of LLC "Acacia Factory" and LLC "Medical House "Odrex" are now Leonid Kuchuk's long-time partners: Iryna Zaikova, Larysa Mysotska, and Yevhen Savytskyi. Leonid Kuchuk himself also acted as a beneficiary of both structures at the dawn of their creation, but later officially withdrew from ownership.
Political "roof" and "Misha Million"
The main actors in the possible corruption scheme around the land plot under the scandalous clinic are the Kuchuk brothers: Leonid – the founder of the Odrex clinic, whose structures today use this land, and his brother Mykhailo – a local official who, during the time of mayors Hurvits and Trukhanov, held the position of deputy mayor.
Mykhailo Kuchuk
Leonid Kuchuk
It was this family connection that could have become the "golden key" for the registration of the land plot under the scandalous Odrex and its subsequent possible illegal expansion and change of intended purpose, believes public activist Oleh Mykhailyk.
One of the co-owners of the clinic is Mr. Leonid Kuchuk. And Mr. Mykhailo Kuchuk was the deputy mayor under the well-known Odesa mayor Hurvits. Then he appeared under Trukhanov, also as a deputy. It's no secret to anyone that thanks to Mr. Kuchuk, many scandalous buildings appeared in Odesa, including a large part of the coastal zone being seized by the dolphinarium, where he or his brother is also a co-owner. From a small dolphinarium, a multi-story hotel with several complexes grew, because Mr. Kuchuk was the deputy mayor of Odesa, who was responsible for construction and issuing permits. Everyone knew him as "Misha Pocket" or "Misha Million"
– says the Odesa public activist.
According to Oleh Mykhailyk, for years an unspoken system operated in Odesa where control over the legality of construction was "turned off" as soon as the interests of influential families were involved.
I have no surprise that part of the territory could have been seized with impunity, for free, because Mr. Kuchuk turned a blind eye to it. And let's say, he could not forbid law enforcement officers from paying attention to it, but such an unspoken rule exists in Odesa, it always worked, especially before. And here Kuchuk's brother is also one of the co-owners, so they could have seized even more territory if they had needed to.
– says Mykhailyk.
The activist also draws attention to the cynical side of this story: while the private business of the official's brother could use corrupt schemes and thanks to them acquire land, expand its borders and change its intended purpose – and thus grow its business, the most vulnerable segments of the population could suffer from underreceived money in the city budget. After all, money stolen from the city budget through such land machinations is funds taken from those who most need social assistance.
Any buildings associated with local oligarchs, with crime, big crime, construction mafia, they try to seize for free. As much as possible. But for free it is for the budget, for them it is definitely not for free, because what no one sees for them, they pay for it. A private clinic that earns money, actually robs the budget of Odesa and Odesans. And moreover, let's be honest, they rob the most unfortunate, the most needy people, who most likely will not be able to turn to them. Except for programs that are financed by the NHSU.
– summarizes Oleh Mykhailyk.
Instead of conclusions
Currently, Mykhailo Kuchuk is under absentee arrest and has fled Ukraine, and his brother Leonid Kuchuk, according to journalists, controls the Odrex medical business from abroad.
Meanwhile, the lawyers of the scandalous Odrex clinic are trying to distance themselves from the land scandal. They claim that the claims of law enforcement officers concern only the landlord – LLC "Acacia Factory". However, when the same names and family influence of the former deputy mayor of Odesa are behind both companies, arguments about alleged non-involvement look unconvincing.
Odesans remain observers of how, on their land, possibly at the expense of money not received by the budget, an elite medical business is being built, the use of which is closed to most due to the high price of services.
