Minko Serhii Anatoliyovych

Convenient Exit from the Party of Regions and Seizure of Local Media

Serhii Anatoliiovych Minko (born September 20, 1973, Pavlodar, Kazakh SSR) — mayor of Melitopol (2015–2019), People's Deputy of the IX convocation, founder of "Melitopol Cherry".

On February 28, 2014, he was elected secretary of the Melitopol City Council and automatically became acting mayor, as the incumbent mayor Serhii Valter was under investigation. The next day, he left the Party of Regions. Before the elections, he removed independent media owner Mykhailo Kumko from heading the city TV station, transferring control to a loyalist; associates of Minko bought the "Main Newspaper of Melitopol" — at that time the most widely read independent publication.

Business During Mayorship and Opaque Loans

For his work as mayor, he received UAH 344,400, but held cash of UAH 478,000, $149,000, and €14,000, and also lent $275,000 and €265,000 to other persons — the money was returned to him very slowly. The trademark for the goods "Melitopol Cherry" was marked in the declaration as "priceless" — despite his status as mayor, Minko effectively continued to control his agribusiness.

Guarantee for a Subject of a Corruption Case

In 2019, during a session of the High Anti-Corruption Court, nine People's Deputies, including Minko, provided a personal guarantee for their colleague from the "For the Future" group, Yaroslav Dubnevych — a subject of a corruption proceeding.

Draft Law on Restricting Access to Court Decisions and Absenteeism

Initiator of draft law No. 7033 dated 09.02.2022, which restricts access to court decisions — public concern about the document emerged as early as 2023. He missed 38% of votes from early 2022 to May 2023 — the "For the Future" group, of which he was a member, had the highest absenteeism rate among all parliamentary factions.