NABU accuses ex-MP Ivaniuschenko, Stolitsa Group founder Molchanova of seizing 18 ha of land near Kyiv
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) announced the exposure of a scheme to seize and further legalize 18 hectares of state-owned land with a market value of over UAH 160 million during a corporate conflict over a wholesale agricultural market in the suburbs.
"The transaction involves a former MP of Ukraine from the Party of Regions and two persons controlled by him, a capital developer and a person controlled by her, as well as the former head of the regional department of the State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre," NABU reported on Telegram on Saturday.
The published information makes it possible to determine that the matter concerns former deputy of the Party of Regions of Ukraine Yuriy Ivaniuschenko and founder of one of the largest capital development companies Stolitsa Group Vlada Molchanova, as well as the conflict around the Stolychny market, which was confirmed to the agency by a source in law enforcement agencies.
In an official publication, the NABU noted that everyone was notified of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 191 and Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
As the bureau informs, in the spring of 2021, during a corporate conflict between the former MP and the developer for control over the wholesale market of agricultural products in the suburbs of Kyiv, the latter had an intention to transfer the market's assets to controlled legal entities and individuals.
"In order to carry out the criminal plan, officials of the Main Department of the State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre in Kyiv region, contrary to the established procedure, made changes to the State Land Cadastre, which allowed the specified body to dispose of the land mass on which a wholesale market with an area of over 150 hectares is located. Subsequently, the specified land plot was leased to a company controlled by the developer," the report says.
After that, the head of the company refused part of the leased land in favor of 9 pre-determined persons, who, on the basis of the order of the acting head of the Main Department of the State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre in Kyiv region, in violation of the norms of land legislation, received ownership of 9 land plots with an area of 18 hectares.
Subsequently, the specified land plots were sold to three companies associated with the developer on the basis of fictitious transactions.
In the process of resolving the conflict, the developer and the former MP signed a memorandum on the joint use of the land plot, in particular for development. In September 2021, the former MP's proxy became one of the beneficiaries of the land plot owners' associations.
Further disposal of the land plot was stopped by an arrest imposed at the request of SAPO prosecutors.