Veaceslav Moskalevski, manager of the confectionery corporation “Roshen”, which belongs to the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, confirmed that they cooperate with “Sheriff” Ltd owned by the Transnistrian oligarch Victor Gusan, IPN reports, with reference to an interview of “Radio Liberty”.
“The point is that we do business with them as with residents of Moldova. <…> In fact, we weren’t informed that this is a separatist zone [Transnistrian region]. It has happened so for 10 or 20 years,” stated Moskalevski.
Asked why the goods were sent directly to the eastern districts bypassing Moldova’s control, the company’s manager argued that there are no Moldovan border guards at the border between Moldova and Ukraine along the Transnistrian segment.
Moreover, the businessman is convinced that one can reach Moldova from Ukraine only by crossing Transnistria.
“Consequently, it is not simple. Surely, the subject is within the remit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine,” said Moskalevski.
He confirmed the facts published by RISE Moldova - that trade between “Roshen” and “Sheriff” since 2014 came to about US$ 3 million.
“As you realize, I’m not the only one. There is also Coca-Cola and others and it has been going on not for a year,” said the manager of “Roshen”
“There are general deliberations on the issue, but there are also concrete norms. There is a customs regime. To send a vehicle, I need to declare the address of the firm “Sheriff”, Tiraspol town, in the customs post. The bank records the fact that the money came from Tiraspol town, in U.S. dollars. This is how things stand. And it has happened not since 2014, believe me,” said Moskalevski.
The journalistic investigation “Ukrainian partners of the Republic “Sheriff”, which was published by RISE Moldova last week, says that since 2014, amid the limitation by Kyiv of trade with the separatist regions in Eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian companies have traded in goods to the value of over US$ 100 million with “Sheriff” Ltd based on the left side of the Nistru, behind Moldova’s back.
