Ex-MP Ivanyuschenko wanted on suspicion of seizing 18 hectares of land near Kyiv

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has put on the wanted list former Member of Parliament from the Party of Regions Yuriy Ivanyushchenko, who is suspected of legalizing 18 hectares of state land for more than UAH 160 million.

"In the spring of 2021, during a corporate conflict between the former People's Deputy and the developer for control over the Stolichny market in the suburbs of Kyiv, the latter had an intention to transfer the market's assets to controlled persons. To do this, employees of the State Geocadastre changed the purpose of the market's land, part of which was divided into nine plots of two hectares each and transferred to the ownership of predetermined individuals, and then sold to three companies associated with the developer," the NABU said on Telegram on Thursday.

As the investigation established, the parties later settled the conflict by signing an "understanding" on the joint use of the market's land. In September 2021, the former MP's confidant became a beneficiary of land ownership companies.

As reported, NABU and Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) announced the exposure of a scheme to seize and further legalize 18 hectares of state-owned land on September 8. According to them, Ivanyushchenko and Vladyslav Molchanova, the founder of one of the largest capital development companies, Stolitsa Group, were involved in the transaction.

Molchanova published a statement on her own website, in which she claims that the investigation, which "has been going on for more than four years and which, in my opinion, looks like a completely commissioned one, was deliberately accelerated right now."

At the same time, Stolitsa Group emphasized that Molchanova is not among its owners.