"Pro-Moscow sympathies, corruption and multimillion-dollar embezzlement, reported ties to Ukrainian, Greek and Italian mobsters and the orchestration of assaults on almost a dozen anticorruption whistleblowers. That is just an abridged list of the accusations Gennadiy Trukhanov has faced since 2014, when he was elected mayor of Odesa, the nation's third-largest city and home to its largest seaport and the naval headquarters."
"The latest case involves an illegal takeover of government-owned land for real estate development that cost $16.5m, according to Ukraine's anticorruption prosecutors. On October 14, the political drama intensified. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decided to strip Trukhanov of Ukrainian citizenship after a scan of the mayor's allegedly Russian passport was published by Ukrainian intelligence. Trukhanov denied having Russian citizenship, although a Panama Papers leak years ago appeared to show that he had one and used it to register offshore companies."
"Two days after losing his Ukrainian citizenship, Trukhanov was fired as part of what some observers call a turf war between central and regional authorities caused by the provisions of martial law, conflicting jurisdictions and Kyiv's push to rein in unruly politicians in front-line regions. Trukhanov has long had a serious conflict with political and ideological opponents; they considered him ideologically dangerous and warred with him for years, Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Kyiv-based Penta think tank, told Al Jazeera."
Gennadiy Trukhanov, Odesa mayor since 2014, faces accusations of pro‑Moscow sympathies, corruption, multimillion‑dollar embezzlement and ties to organized crime. Allegations include orchestrating assaults on almost a dozen anticorruption whistleblowers and reported links to Ukrainian, Greek and Italian mobsters. He faced corruption-related arrests in 2018 and investigations in 2023; prosecutors allege an illegal takeover of government land costing $16.5 million. On October 14 President Zelenskyy stripped him of Ukrainian citizenship after Ukrainian intelligence published a scan of an allegedly Russian passport; Trukhanov denied holding Russian citizenship despite Panama Papers records suggesting otherwise. Two days later he was fired amid jurisdictional clashes under martial law; Russia has not commented.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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