Ukraine’s Poroshenko Accused Over Mafia Management Methods

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has been accused of "mafia management methods" and intimidation in a dispute with a British-owned property company, which is in a legal battle with Poroshenko's chocolate company.

British-owned architecture firm Jones East8 are suing the Roshen Confectionery Corporation — the Ukrainian confectionery manufacturing group controlled by Poroshenko — alleging that the president's company refused to pay for 40% of designs used to build a milk-processing plant in the city of Vinnytsya.

However, Newsweek has revealed that the British firm's director, Hanna Nikiforova, has "resigned in tears" and left the country following a mysterious telephone call. She cited her objection to the architects' legal challenge against chocolate giant Roshen as the reason for her departure.

According to Jones East8 owner Phil Hudson:

"We received an email from our director saying she wanted to resign because of the Roshen court case and that she would not authorise the court actions as she is scared."

They may be the fruits of corruption, but Roshen chocolates (Poroshenko's company) are actually pretty tasty. pic.twitter.com/uR5Qv7Q7fl

— Barney Guiton (@BarneyGuiton) February 23, 2015

Crying in the Office

"My director said she had been called by somebody 'known to us' who laughed at us for looking to fight Roshen and Poroshenko. The director was visibly upset and crying in the office on Friday February 27."

U.K.-owned firm Jones East8 accuses Ukrainian President’s company of intimidation after director resigns in tears— http://t.co/4ld9CMSVjo

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) March 5, 2015

Hudson had previously told Newsweek that Roshen president and 9% owner Vyacheslav Moskalevskiy had said Poroshenko's company believed in "mafia management methods" when it refused to pay. 

Hudson believes the telephone call is further evidence of a gangster mentality within the company.

"Roshen prefers to employ its instruments of power rather than deal with the fact that they accepted our work and should pay," Hudson said, adding that Jones East8 had tried to settle the matter out of court.