Candidate from Bankova: how RF native Danylo Menshykov became the favorite in the “fight” for Lviv Customs

Candidate from Bankova: how RF native Danylo Menshykov became the favorite in the “fight” for Lviv Customs

A fierce behind-the-scenes battle is unfolding around the competition for the position of head of the State Customs Service.

According to sources, Deputy Head of the Office of the President Oleh Tatarov is actively lobbying for the candidacy of Danylo Menshykov — the current acting head of the State Aviation Service. Previously, Menshykov headed the Cherkasy and Lviv Customs, and his customs career is directly linked to the former Deputy Head of the OP Rostyslav Shurma, who previously promoted him to key positions, reports Bankova Mail.

Menshykov’s figure has long been accompanied by scandals. He is a native of Russia and has already been involved in public conflicts over real estate while working at customs. Now questions are arising regarding his current activities at the State Aviation Service. This concerns issues around documentation for helicopters, which, according to sources, have already become the subject of corruption suspicions.

Against this backdrop, pressure on competitors is beginning around the competition for the position of head of the State Customs Service. Menshikov’s main rival is considered to be the current Deputy Head of Customs Vladyslav Suvorov. According to sources, it is him they are trying to eliminate from the competition. To this end, a scheme has been launched through an anti-corruption check: people’s deputy from the banned OPFL party Anatoliy Burmych and deputy from the «European Solidarity» Nina Yuzhanina sent a request to the NAPC demanding an inspection of Suvorov’s property status.

Formally, it concerns checking declarations, but the consequences are obvious: a NAPC decision could become grounds for disqualifying Suvorov from the competition. In that case, the main competitor drops out of the race, and the candidate promoted on Bankova gets a virtually clear path to the chair of head of the State Customs Service.

If this scenario is realized, the competition will finally turn into a formality. The decision on who will control one of the country’s richest state agencies will be made not through a transparent selection process, but as a result of a backroom political deal.