The scandalous path of Dmytro Chalyi: from appointments without competition to attempts to appropriate state assets

The scandalous path of Dmytro Chalyi: from appointments without competition to attempts to appropriate state assets

Dmytro Chalyi from Vinnytsia, a relative of the "Servant of the People" MP Oleh Dunda, swiftly broke into the Ministry of Infrastructure in 2016 along with Volodymyr Groysman’s team. Without experience in the port sector, in 2016-2017, Chalyi held the positions of Deputy Director of the "Chornomorsk" Sea Trade Port and the Odesa Sea Port.

How did this happen? He was brought to the port position by the former head of "Ukrposhta" Ihor Tkachuk — the brother of Hennadiy Tkachuk, a deputy from BPP. Tkachuk lost to Smelyanskyi and was offered a convenient position in the ports, where he transferred his commercial director Dmytro Chalyi.

In 2018, the Ministry of Infrastructure appointed him, without a competition, as the chairman of the board of PJSC "Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company" for three years under contract terms.

The then-minister Volodymyr Omelyan called this appointment a "political decision." When asked if this appointment was made with the protection of Prime Minister Hroysman, the Minister of Infrastructure could not respond. Omelyan also referred to a "political decision" when asked about possible pressure in approving Chalyi’s appointment as the head of the UDP board.

"I relied on his personal characteristics and the recommendations I received," added Omelyan.

However, Omelyan could not name five achievements of Chalyi during his work at "Ukrposhta" and the Odesa Sea Trade Port.

After his dismissal, in a commissioned complimentary interview (likely wishing to remain with the new presidential team), Chalyi stated, "A political decision was made to abandon competitions where they are not necessary. At that time, it became clear that competitions are not an effective means of selecting staff, instead creating numerous problems, requiring a lot of effort and time. But that’s a topic for another conversation."

Attention is drawn to the fact that the next Minister of Infrastructure, Vladyslav Krykliy, indicated that Chalyi was involved in embezzling barges along with Odesa deputy Viktor Baranskyi, whose vessels are now serving Russia’s "shadow fleet."

At that time, Krykliy stated that Chalyi, while head of UDP, claimed that the company was bankrupt, but he was ready to privatize it, and was dismissed from the position.

Thus, Chalyi attempted to acquire a valuable state asset by deliberately leading the company to bankruptcy.