Galanternik hired a law firm to force journalists to remove articles

Businessman Volodymyr Galanternik, a defendant in the case of organizing a criminal group in Odesa City Hall, has hired an international law firm to persuade the New Voice publication to remove critical articles about him.

This was reported by the editor-in-chief of the publication Vitaliy Sych.

According to him, Volodymyr Galanternik and Russian-Uzbek oligarch Alisher Usmanov had previously taken the publication to court with demands to remove the articles, but lost.

Back in 2018, journalist Kristina Berdinskykh did a story about Volodymyr Galanternik, his property and possible connection with the criminal mastermind Angel, who had long since left the city.

After this article was published, Volodymyr Halternyk sued NV, but his representatives never appeared at the hearing, despite numerous court requests, so the lawsuit remained unheard.

"But he didn't stop there. Recently, I've been receiving emails from a law firm with offices in New York, Miami, and the United Kingdom asking me to take the article down. I assume that a Google search by potential partners brings up this article and creates reputational discomfort for the hero of the article. Odesa deserves a better 'business climate'," said Vitaliy Sych.

Meanwhile, in September, the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine granted the prosecutor's motion and allowed a special trial of businessman Volodymyr Halanternyk, accused of organizing a corrupt organization in Odesa City Hall.

In December 2024, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office brought to court the case of a criminal organization that caused the Odesa community to lose UAH 689 million. The 11 defendants include the current mayor of Odesa, city council officials, the head of an enterprise and other participants.

According to the investigation, the criminal organization developed a plan to illegally seize budget funds and community land. As a result of its actions, from 2016 to 2019, the territorial community lost at least six land plots with a total area of 15.9 hectares and UAH 131 million, which Odesa City Hall officials illegally overpaid when buying non-residential real estate on the site, which was allegedly planned to be used to expand the cemetery.

The NABU did not name the suspects, but Intent reported that it was Odesa businessman Volodymyr Halanternyk, who is hiding from the investigation abroad. The other defendants include the then mayor of Odesa, Hennadiy Trukhanov, his former deputies Oleh Bryndak and Petro Ryabokon, former city council member Vasyl Shkryabai, director of the legal department Inna Popovska, and founder of the Budova company Dmytro Dimarsky.

Кирило Бойко