Deputy head of Kyiv region police at centre of corruption scandal

Oleh Petrenko, deputy head of the police in Kyiv region, may be involved in appointments at the region's Ministry of Internal Affairs service centres and the extortion of bribes from clients. This is reported by the international detective agency Absolution.

Family appointments and influence

According to the investigation, Petrenko facilitated the appointment of his relative, Arkadiy Krynytskyi, as head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Territorial Service Centre No. 3241.

The police officer began his service in Baryshivka, but thanks to the support of General Andrii Nebitov, he rapidly advanced up the career ladder. In May 2023, he was appointed deputy head of the regional police.

Corruption schemes in Ministry of Internal Affairs service centres

According to the detective agency, Petrenko controls the financial flows of two Ministry of Internal Affairs service centres — in Baryshivka (No. 3241) and Pereiaslav (No. 3248) — using his associates in the Boryspil and Broyar police departments.

According to published data, the cost of obtaining a driving licence is as follows:

• Theoretical exam — $800,

• Practical exam — $600.

Career and connections

Before his appointment to the regional police department, Petrenko headed the Obukhiv police department. He began his service in 1993 after enrolling at the Kyiv Police Academy. He worked in criminal investigation units, and from 2011 to 2014, he headed the Baryshivka district police department. He subsequently held leadership positions in the police departments of Zhytomyr, Pereiaslav, Irpin, Broyar, and Obukhiv.

At the time of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Petrenko was serving as head of the Obukhiv police department in Kyiv region.

Business and political connections

After his appointment to the leadership of the regional police, Petrenko consolidated his position, becoming one of Andrii Nebitov's closest allies. He is also said to have a long-standing friendship with the Yarema family from the Pereiaslav region.

Aleksandr Yarema is the founder and head of the companies "Zemlia Pereiaslavshchyny" and "Euro-Niva". Vitaliy Yarema, in turn, occupies an important place in the country's political history: a lieutenant general of police, former People's Deputy from the "Batkivshchyna" party, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine in the government of Arseniy Yatsenyuk from 27 February to 19 June 2014, and subsequently Prosecutor General of Ukraine.