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The High Administrative Court of Ukraine has handed down a verdict to Yanukovych in the case of illegal seizure of state land

Margarita Kravchenko
Margarita Kravchenko Journalist
The High Administrative Court of Ukraine has handed down a verdict to Yanukovych in the case of illegal seizure of state land
Viktor Yanukovych. TASS
The former president was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison for embezzling a forest plot in the Kyiv region worth over 22 million hryvnias.

The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine found former President Viktor Yanukovych guilty of misappropriating state-owned land in the Kyiv region and sentenced him to 15 years in prison. This was reported by the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).

According to the prosecutor's office, the court concluded that Yanukovych illegally seized a 17.5-hectare plot of forest land in the Sukholuchya tract. The estimated value of this land exceeds 22 million hryvnias. The actions of the former head of state were classified under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — misappropriation of property on an especially large scale.

The ex-president's accomplice was also found guilty of aiding and abetting this crime under Part 5 of Article 27 and Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. At the same time, the court released him from serving his sentence due to the expiration of the statute of limitations for criminal liability.

The SAP clarified that the verdict will come into force 30 days after it is announced, unless it is appealed.

According to the investigation, in 2007, while serving as Prime Minister of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych initiated decisions that allowed part of the land of the Dnipro-Teteriv Forestry and Hunting Economy to be removed from state ownership. The plot is located within the Sukholutsk Village Council of the Vyshgorod District of the Kyiv Region.

According to the prosecutor's office, individuals close to Yanukovych were involved in implementing the scheme. They applied to the Kyiv Regional State Administration for the allocation of land plots of up to one hectare and, subsequently, for a change in their intended use. This made it possible to transfer the land to a company controlled by the former president.

Between 2009 and 2011, a hotel and restaurant complex was built on the seized land, which, according to the investigation, was used by Yanukovych for personal needs.

The pre-trial investigation into this case began in 2014. Initially, it was conducted by the Special Investigations Department of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, but in November 2019, the proceedings were transferred to the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).

The prosecutor's office also noted that since all the defendants are wanted, the trial was held in a special court proceeding — in absentia.

Keywords:
VAKS, Viktor Yanukovych, SAP, illegal land acquisition, corruption case

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