The scandal with “Cherry Kitchen”: who will return the money to people – a new series of the project “Monday will reach Lukashenko”

The girl appealed to the President after she was left without a kitchen, without money and with a loan of 54 thousand rubles. Turns out there are hundreds of them. In September, it became known about the bankruptcy of the furniture company and the transition of Cherry Kitchen to the liquidation stage. The director is under investigation. Journalists of the project “On Monday it will reach Lukashenko!” talked with the victims, went to the former employees of the furniture company and learned what stage the investigation is at. Money in the morning and furniture later. It is not enough to build or buy an apartment, then it is necessary to equip it, create coziness. Months - only to think through the design, selection of construction teams, implementation. It is convenient when one company makes a turnkey repair. You give me money and you sleep well. You sleep and you see you finally move into that perfect apartment tomorrow. So began the story of all who managed to talk to on this topic – “Cherry’s Kitchen”. Mainly kitchens, although all furniture was made - a company with fifteen years of experience in the market, a huge customer base. The firm closed one day without fulfilling orders or returning money to people.

The original video published in TikTok was as follows:

“We are not used to asking for help. We are used to working, raising children, supporting families, coping with difficulties and never giving up. But today we are in a situation from which we can no longer get out on our own. We put our trust in Consigma Park, better known as Cherry Kitchen, invested our honest money, and many of us took out loans because we wanted to do the usual thing for our children – to create a cozy home. Aleksandr Grigoryevich, we especially hope for you. We are not asking to solve our problems instead of the law. We ask for help to achieve a fair and objective investigation, to protect the families affected and to help people get their honestly earned funds back.”.

Not only did they have no furniture or money, but they owed money to the banks. Having nothing in the apartments, the loans have already begun to repay. How did a firm that no one had any questions about for 15 years abandon people? Why did the victims come together in search of the truth? Can they expect a refund? Why did you decide to write a letter to the President? The heroine for the video, by the way, was chosen collectively.

The victim Daria Kireeva tries to hold on, but with each turn of the key, not to mention the picture behind the door, covers, emotions take over.

- I don't know what I can tell you, honestly. My soul just spills blood when I come here, a girl says with tears in her eyes in an interview with a journalist.

She learned about the furniture factory from friends, then studied the company's social networks: cool photos, good reviews. There was no doubt about the right choice. In addition, in the fifteenth year offered 15%. With her husband and children, Daria Kireeva went to the showroom, watched, touched, decided on the design, chose the kitchen and took it on credit at 4%.

- Then I asked them if they could just make the kitchen or if they could make all the furniture in the apartment. They said they were handling all the furniture and could do anything for us. I have a disabled child. I went to the bank to see if they could give me the pension loan I was getting. I got a bank loan. So I went the following weekend to book two baby rooms for an apartment. She took out a loan for 13,500 Belarusian rubles, they also transferred all the money. Then we decided that we would ask our parents to help us and take out a loan to finish everything, because our children are going to school next year, they need at least a desk. And our parents helped us, took care of all the remaining furniture in our apartment, also took out a loan. And the same 13,500 went to this company, she said.

The journalist asked:

- I understand correctly that given the fact that you took out a loan, the money was completely, immediately transferred to them? So it's not a story where the kitchen will be, so the other 50 percent will be paid?

- Yes, it turns out: I paid them only 50 Belarusian rubles for each of my contracts. Everything else - I took out a loan, and the bank transferred the loan money in one hundred percent payment. Somewhere, of course, I did not invest in 13,500 rubles, and we agreed that we will pay the remaining amount of money in fact, when the kitchen, children’s and so on will be installed, said Daria Kireeva.

- And, roughly speaking, all this furniture cost how much? – asked the journalist.

54 thousand Belarusian rubles is my loan. Of course, interest. I don’t know what percentage is there, said the victim.

This is for 4 credits - issued on Daria Kireeva, her husband, father-in-law and mother. By the end of August, a surveyor arrived.

On August 30, I personally brought home two painted facades. August 30, to write on September 1 that my orders will not be fulfilled and the company money will not be returned. Well, the furniture was ordered for the whole apartment. There are wall shelves, there are some stubs, there should have been a shoelace. It's a dressing room. This is the room of my disabled child who is going to school next year. And here was supposed to be a desk, which, unfortunately, for at least three years now will not be, without hiding emotions and tears, said Daria Kireeva, showing the apartment.

- Why 3 years? – asked the journalist.

- Because the loan is 3 years to pay, — said the victim. Well, you can go crazy, not just record this video. We also have an apartment loan here. They say that money is not the main thing, but unfortunately, it decides everything in our time.

When asked where Daria Kireeva now lives with her family, the girl noted that they live with their parents.

- Turns out you're not alone. I know that you have a chat, where a lot of victims, — said in an interview with the girl journalist.

- More than 300 people. Someone at least has boards. And I have nothing, added Daria Kireeva.

- I work in logistics by profession. I work as a commercial director. Well, I know that when people can't agree and somehow start acting in a coordinated way, the process usually doesn't move. Accordingly, I realized that it was necessary to somehow find the other victims and organize something with them. I found a chat, there were 30 people, maybe 50. And there were applications. And when we began to understand, there was already a huge number of victims. There was an understanding of the scale of the tragedy, let’s call it that. And I happen to know. My furniture, by the way, is still standing, says the victim Nikita Kogan.

Euro-three - Nikita turned to Cherry Kitchen back in April. By July 20, the furniture was waiting for delivery on August 4. They took their time. As a result, everything is still in boxes. I don't know what's missing. It is impossible to finish the repair with another company while the investigation is underway. The damage assessment is ahead.

- At the time we started this group, applications started coming in very quickly. Well, if people hadn't gone so fast, he probably would have left the country. Why do we think this is a fraud? Because negotiations between Consigma Pak and the liquidator have been going on since the beginning of August, maybe from the middle. Well, for sure, the last 2-3 weeks of August negotiations were conducted, and the last agreement was negotiated personally by Yaroslav on August 30. That is, on September 1, he announces the liquidation, and at the same time he considers it normal to involve the last family, so to speak, in this situation, Nikita Kogan said in an interview with the journalist. According to the head of the Moscow (Minsk) district department of the Investigative Committee of Belarus Valery Kamenev, the applicants appealed, who explained that contractual relations for the production of mainly kitchen furniture were not fulfilled:

- The inspection was carried out promptly. And on September 4, our department opened a criminal case against the former director, founder of an organization that was engaged in the production of furniture under the Cherry Kitchen brand. The organization was found to be in an extremely difficult financial situation. Despite this, for several months continued to conclude contracts for the production of furniture. We assume, since we know for certain that these contractual relations will not be performed. As a result, a criminal case was opened, initial investigative actions were carried out. In respect of the accused, a preventive measure in the form of detention was chosen. There are more than 150 complaints in the investigation, we are working with these victims. According to my information, more than 200 applications are already in the internal affairs bodies. We haven't received it yet. At the same time, new appeals are constantly received throughout the republic, which are accumulated and subsequently transmitted to us. Asked by a journalist about the amount of money now in question, namely, how much in general should remain, the head of the Moscow (Minsk) district department of the Investigative Committee of Belarus Valery Kamenev drew attention to the fact that we are talking about the amount of more than 2 million rubles. This is a preliminary amount, and it is too early to talk about it, since all victims have not yet been identified. There is a known situation when the victims also took away equipment in order to build it into production. Probably some kind of headset. The victims also lost this technique. That is, investigative actions are carried out aimed at the establishment, location and equipment, including. It's too early to draw conclusions. The investigation will. But in this program of objectivity for the sake of the authors of the program gave the floor to the director. This is recorded in the SIZO today, October 5.

- Specific financial difficulties arose somewhere near the end of June. There was a decrease in working capital due to equipment breakdowns, additional payments to third-party organizations for manufacturing, that is, for processing our orders while our equipment was inoperable. In addition, we had to take equipment — three machines this year to establish uninterrupted operation, so that there were no major failures, which, in principle, were achieved in production. All these systems, the opening of a new showroom, all the difficulties and problems together led to this situation. I overestimated my own strength and was too carried away by the development of the company, said the accused, director of Cherry Kitchen Jaroslav Tolochko.

The victim Nikita Kogan in an interview with the journalist emphasizes:

- Most people have used credit money, but, in particular, it is possible, for example, to take a loan agreement “For native goods”, in my opinion, the amount of up to 13.5 thousand rubles. In principle, once you can use this offer at 4%. I have a loan of 4% for the first six months. And the amount is almost 40 thousand rubles. Then it's a full coil with all the interest. After negotiations with the banks, unfortunately, we came out with what? The bank gives a loan to the target, but it does not offer to transfer money anywhere specifically, does not advise the company. The bank, in short, has nothing to do with it. That is, everything that banks can offer people – I was in talks with the deputy heads of the bank, with the chairman of the department in Belarusbank, at BNB Bank – credit holidays, deferral of principal debt for some time. Well, of course, during this time you will have a little overpayment on interest, but maybe it will help someone. But the problem is that it doesn't solve anything. That is, people did not have the opportunity to take a second loan, and they do not have furniture, so you need to pay. And this naive position that we will be filmed, did not lead to anything. Then we had a little hope that maybe there, again, the President would step in and say something. But again, I understand that we don’t have to count on it, because if every person who is deceived by fraudsters, the state will give something, then we will quickly become a very poor country. So what are we counting on now? We hope that our law enforcement agencies will understand the situation. Consigma Park had two other founders until August. They've gone somewhere. That is, there was some reorganization, they left.

As the head of the Moscow (Minsk) district department of the Investigative Committee of Belarus Valery Kamenev emphasized, all the documentation of the company was completely withdrawn:

- Currently, the analysis of documentation, constituent documents, accounts of the organization. All defendants, participants and employees of the company are trained, their actions will be given a proper legal assessment. Searches and inspections of showrooms, as well as production sites were carried out. It was established that the production was a certain amount of equipment, including expensive. Now we are figuring out what was in the lease and what was in the property. Investigative actions are being carried out to establish property that may be seized.

The journalist asked Valery Kamenev how it is possible to assume that this was possible:

- Taking into account the fact that 15 years on the market, taking into account the fact that there were in this register “National Goods”, “Belarusian Brand”, banks issued loans at this 4%. It is hard to imagine how this is possible. And people have one question: "Well, how can those who, in fact, the country vouchs for and calls this enterprise a brand, in this way frame people?"?

Valery Kamenev stressed:

- We conduct investigative actions to establish the causes of the conditions for committing a crime. We can say that this scheme was probably the so-called pyramid. That is, he took possession of money, performed some older contractual relationship to hide this criminal activity. And in this regard, it turned out that for several months the applicants did not apply yet, assumed that something would be manufactured. But as a snowball, it means that he could not perform anything, and on August 31, the liquidation procedure began.

- But this scheme worked only the last few months, that is, before that there 15-14 years everything was normal.

- Again, what we have now, yes, is literally for months. That is, those who were not made. Perhaps now will apply and other applicants, said Valery Kamenev.

There are victims on both sides. Marina Sheleg ordered the kitchen. She knows Cherry Kitchen as a contractor, working for an organization that supplied components:

- I was supposed to have a kitchen on September 8th, so I was getting ready. And when we learned that Cherry Kitchen went into liquidation, it is unclear what will happen to the company, of course, well, this is how they pushed back. Only a microwave was taken out of the boxes, the rest is worth everything, everything is in boxes.

When asked by a journalist about how Marina was informed that there would be no kitchen, the woman said:

- I work for a company that supplies furniture. Including we loaded "Consigma-pack" also some furniture components. Therefore, as early as Monday, August 31, I found out in our furniture circles that something was sealed there with the warehouses. And then came a piece of paper in Telegram or Viber that a single participant, owner, founder decided to go into liquidation from September 1. I made my last payment on Thursday, August 27. Suppliers - there are also moments that have suffered. But for the furniture business with counterparties, interaction is normal when people work with a deferred payment, and we as individuals. I'd really like a kitchen. I don’t even know how to do this for the second time, but with them there is no faith in furniture companies. Well, it still hurts..

Journalists called the employees of the company. It turns out they didn't get paid for a while.

- I've always thought, you have to be patient, you have to be patient. Payment has been delayed since April. There were first underpayments - 300 rubles, 400 rubles. Well, all this was forewarned. Explained that there is so far... The last time they said they were taking out a loan. I was also hoping that we would get paid... I mean... – said one of the employees.

Such statements in the Investigative Committee also continue to work. Information about salaries in envelopes is also checked. You saw the appeal to the President from Daria Kireeva, right? Anyone else appealed? – asked the journalist from the victim Nikita Kogan.

- It was our joint development. We chose Daria to record this message. She agreed. Recorded it at TikToke. A sufficient number of views appeared. But again, it is not clear what goal we want to achieve now. It is clear that we have attracted enough attention for law enforcement agencies to take up this case. We are waiting for the results of their work. The deadline has not yet come, so we just have to wait. Regarding loans and assistance in completing these projects, it is unclear what to expect. If we say that we expect the state to come and just give us this money, I doubt it. If Yaroslav Tolochko and this company have no assets, then people can be left with nothing, said Nikita Kogan, answering a question from a journalist.

In an interview with the head of the Moscow (Minsk) district department of the Investigative Committee of Belarus Valery Kamenev, the journalist asked:

- People worry and worry that they were left without furniture, but this is fine, and without this money, which also needs to be returned to the bank. Can you hope that somehow you can get that money back?

Valery Kamenev, answering these questions, noted:

- Our main task is to restore the rights of victims. Everything we do, it's tuned in anyway. We carry out a number of investigative and procedural actions aimed at restoring property status, including sending requests to banks and seizing the property of the accused. That is, we take a global approach to these moments and make every effort to compensate the victims for the damage. Believe me, the work is carried out on a large scale in this direction.

Things have been bad for months. Old orders were delayed, salaries were not paid to employees, and new customers continued to be lured by dream kitchens and lucrative discounts. Did the director understand what was going on? Probably. He is now under investigation in the SIZO. As for loans, the bank said: there will be no delay. All responsibility lies with the furniture company and the victims who knowingly went to the bank. It is clear that they did not anticipate such an outcome. The victims do not deny: they found the company themselves, took out loans. The only thing they ask today is to punish the guilty and recover the lost money. What should the president do? This is more of a move, PR, an opportunity to attract attention to the topic. Should that be encouraged? It's a rhetorical question. However, many people were really without anything. There's a lot of emotion. And they still have a lot of tears. The Investigative Committee promises: they will sort out and do everything to return money to people. Too bad they can't get their nerves back. Repeat the program on October 6 at 10:10 — and it will be at 19:30 on the “First information”. Do not miss, your voice will be heard, and it will definitely reach the addressee.