Roman Leshchenko
{{Short description|Ukrainian politician (born 1988)}}
{{Family name hatnote|Mykolayovych|Leshchenko|lang=Eastern Slavic}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{BLP sources|date=June 2021}}
{{POV|date=June 2021}}
{{Expand Ukrainian|topic=gov|date=January 2021}}
}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Roman Leshchenko
| native_name = {{nobold|Роман Лещенко}}
| native_name_lang = uk
| image = Roman_Leshchenko.jpg
| caption = Official portrait, 2020
| office = Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food
| term_start = 17 December 2020
| president = Volodymyr Zelenskyy
| primeminister = Denys Shmyhal
| predecessor = Position established
| successor = Mykola Solskyi
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|11|23|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Penizhkove, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
(now Ukraine)
}}
Roman Mykolayovych Leshchenko ({{langx|uk|Роман Миколайович Лещенко}}; born 23 November 1988) is a Ukrainian politician who served as Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food from December 2020 to March 2022.{{Cite news|last=Raczkiewycz|first=Mark|date=24 December 2020|title=Zelenskyy 'biggest disappointment' of 2020 as more controversial Cabinet appointments made|work=The Ukrainian Weekly|url=http://www.ukrweekly.com/uwwp/zelenskyy-biggest-disappointment-of-2020-as-more-controversial-cabinet-appointments-made/|access-date=3 January 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/3156609-parliament-appoints-leshchenko-as-agricultural-policy-minister.html |title=Parliament appoints Leshchenko as agricultural policy minister |website=Ukrinform |date=17 December 2020}} Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre (2020), Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Land Issues since 1 October 2019, lawyer, instructor, agricultural entrepreneur.
Early life and education
Leshchenko was born on 23 November 1988, in the village of Penizhkove, Khrystynivka Raion of Cherkasy Oblast. He studied at the Law School of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Candidate of Juridical Sciences, defended the dissertation Financial and Legal Regulation of Offshore Mechanisms, specialty 12.00.07, in 2015.{{Cite web |title=Каталоги - НБУВ Національна бібліотека України імені В. І. Вернадського |url=http://irbis-nbuv.gov.ua/cgi-bin/irbis_nbuv/cgiirbis_64.exe?Z21ID=&I21DBN=EC&P21DBN=EC&S21STN=1&S21REF=10&S21FMT=fullwebr&C21COM=S&S21CNR=20&S21P01=0&S21P02=0&S21P03=A=&S21COLORTERMS=1&S21STR=%D0%9B%D0%B5%D1%89%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%BE%20%D0%A0$ |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=irbis-nbuv.gov.ua}}
Career and political activities
From 2007, Leshchenko worked for the OSG Group, occupied the position of the main legal consultant of the holding.
Since 1 September 2013, Leshchenko has been an assistant at the Department of Financial Law at the Law School of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. The areas of his professional interest are International Financial Law, Tax Law, Banking Law.
On 1 October 2019, Leshchenko was appointed to the position of the Presidential Commissioner for Land Issues. While occupying this post, he worked on the land reform, took part in preparing and writing Draft Law No 2178-10 on Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding Circulation of Agricultural Lands as well as at the stage of its consideration in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. He also supported the supply of ₴4 billion to Ukrainian farmers in 2020.
On 10 June 2020, Leshchenko was appointed the Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre.
On 17 December 2020, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's national parliament) appointed Roman Leshchenko as the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food.{{Cite news |date=17 December 2020 |title=Романа Лещенка призначено міністром агрополітики — офіційно |language=uk |trans-title=Roman Leshchenko appointed as Minister of Agricultural Policy - Officials |work=AgroPolit.com |url=https://agropolit.com/news/19021-romana-leschenka-priznacheno-ministrom-agropolitiki--ofitsiyno}}
Leshchenko resigned as agriculture minister on 24 March 2022, without stating a reason.[https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-agriculture-solskyi-idUSL5N2VR2XE Lawmaker Solskyi accepts offer to become Ukraine's agriculture minister], Reuters (24 March 2022)
{{cite news |title=The new Minister of Agrarian Policy spoke about the priorities of the work|url=Новий міністр агрополітики розповів про пріоритети роботи|access-date=25 March 2022 |work=Українська правда |date=25 March 2022 |language=uk}}
2020 Khmelnytskyi Oblast bribery case
In December 2020, the Head of the State Geocadastre was offered a bribe in the amount of US$170,000 for clearing and issuing orders to allot land in Khmelnytskyi Oblast to some front persons within programs of interaction with farms. On 9 December 2020, the World Day to Combat Corruption, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) detained acting head of the Main Department of the State Geocadastre in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Yuriy Klymko, on suspicion of attempting to bribe Leshchenko.{{Cite news |date=9 December 2020 |title=НАБУ затримало двох осіб за спробу підкупу голови Держгеокадастру |language=uk |trans-title=NABU detains two for attempting to bribe State Geocadastre chief |work=Slovo i Dilo |url=https://www.slovoidilo.ua/2020/12/09/novyna/polityka/nabu-zatrymalo-dvox-osib-sprobi-pidkupu-holovy-derzhheokadastru}}
According to the investigators, Klymko, along with Oleksiy Kovaliov, who served as an intermediary, were planning to transfer US$170,000 to Leshchenko for issuing orders to allot land plots to counterfeits. They were detained following the transfer of US$25,000, the second such transfer of money. Leshchenko who went to the anti-corruption bodies in early September 2020. After that, NABU detectives, along with the Security Service of Ukraine, began obtaining evidence, eventually leading to the arrests of Klymko and Kovaliov in December 2020.{{Cite news |date=10 December 2020 |title=САП повідомила про підозру затриманому посадовцю Держгеокадастру |language=uk |trans-title=SAP informed detained State Geocadastre officials of suspicions |work=Slovo i Dilo |url=https://www.slovoidilo.ua/2020/12/10/novyna/polityka/sap-povidomyla-pro-pidozru-zatrymanomu-posadovcyu-derzhheokadastru}}
On 11 December 2020, the Higher Anti-Corruption Court ruled to take the both into custody with the alternative option of bail.{{Cite news |date=11 December 2020 |title=Спроба підкупу голови Держгеокадастру: ВАКС обрав підозрюваним запобіжні заходи |language=uk |trans-title=State Geocadastre head bribery attempt: Higher Anti-Corruption Court chooses preventive measures against suspects |work=Slovo i Dilo |url=https://www.slovoidilo.ua/2020/12/11/novyna/polityka/sproba-pidkupu-holovy-derzhheokadastru-vaks-obrav-pidozryuvanym-zapobizhni-zaxody}}
Assassination attempt
On 18 November 2021, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine reported that it prevented an attempt to assassinate Leshchenko.{{Cite web |title=МВС: американець та українка замовили замах на міністра Лещенка |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2021/11/18/7314486/ |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=Українська правда |language=uk}} The next day, the Pecherskyi District Court of Kyiv took the alleged assassination contractors into custody.{{Cite web |title=Суд заарештував підозрюваних у замаху на міністра Лещенка – DW – 19.11.2021 |url=https://www.dw.com/uk/sud-zaareshtuvav-amerykanckoho-biznesmena-za-pidozroiu-u-zamakhu-na-ministra-leshchenka-a-59884676/a-59884676 |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=dw.com |language=uk}}
Personal life
Leshchenko is married to Alla Leshchenko, and has two sons, named Mykola and Hennadiy.{{Cite web |title=Роман Лещенко - биография, образование, семья, карьера, компромат |url=https://my.ua/persons/roman-leshchenko |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=MY.UA |language=ru}}{{Cite web |title=Жена министра Лещенко получила акции в трех компаниях и подарки от мужа на 1,7 млн гривен |url=https://antikor.com.ua/ru/articles/447730-hena_ministra_leshchenko_poluchila_aktsii_v_treh_kompanijah_i_podarki_ot_muha_na_17_mln_griven |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=antikor.com.ua}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{commons category}}
{{wikiquote}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leshchenko, Roman}}
Category:21st-century Ukrainian politicians
Category:Agriculture ministers of Ukraine