Heorhiy Kirpa
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Heorhiy Kirpa (Ukrainian: Георгій Кірпа) (July 20, 1946 in Klubivka, Khmelnytskyi Oblast - December 27, 2004 in Bortnychi, near Kiev) was a Ukrainian industrial manager, statesman and politician. He was the head of Ukrainian railways.
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[edit] Ukrzaliznytsia career
As general director of the Ukrainian national railroad operator Ukrzaliznytsia. When he took on the job, it was estimated that Ukrzaliznytsias received credits for only 15% of the transportation services it rendered, and the rest falling to corruption. Only a third of its earnings were retained by the corporation. Kirpa's policies helped to dramatically cut corruption by sacking the mid-level beuracrats, at the same time he raised tariffs to make the rail transport profitable, which although was unpopular, nonetheless this was compensated by also raising the salaries of the thousands of workers employed in the railway sector.
[edit] Political career
In May 2002, Kirpa was appointed Minister of Transport by the then President Leonid Kuchma and on April 23 was awarded an honourable title Hero of Ukraine. In a publicly debated move in 2003, the President placed paramilitary railroad armed forces under the direction of Kirpa. He was a staunch supporter of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who was defeated in the fiercely contested 2004 presidential elections.
[edit] Controversial death
Heorhiy Kirpa was found shot dead at his holiday home in Bortnychi just outside of Kiev, December 27, 2004. The police suspect he committed suicide, and have started an investigation under the article coercion to commit suicide. Officials in the ministry link the death with malversation of public funds during the construction of a new bridge over the Dnieper river in Kiev. Some suspect that Kirpa, who supplied Yanukovych with free trains to bring miners from Donbass to Kiev in order to intimidate the opposition during the Orange Revolution, now hesitated to do so, fearing either the possible outcome or simply being brought to justice after the opposition assumed power.
