NABU Investigating Land Sale ‘Linked to Avakov Family’

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) suspects the ex-management of Derhachivskyi [Ed: a town outside Kharkiv] State District Administration (SDA) of the unlawful transfer of an 18-hectare land plot to a private Kharkiv-based company named ‘Investor,’ Nashi Groshi cites the decision of Solomianskyi District Court of Kyiv.

In December 2005, the company bought this land plot from the SDA.

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According to the case file, in July 2016 NABU initiated a criminal proceeding with regard to the sale of the land plot. NABU claims that the land management plan had to be developed and approved prior to the sale, but the SDA ignored the lack of such a plan.

Moreover, a part of the land plot belonged to Lisne village, and the SDA was not entitled to sell it. Another part belonged to state forestry resources, the sale of which is also limited by law.

NABU was allowed by the court to see the documents about the relationships between Iinvestor and the SDA. It was found out that 42% of company’s shares belonged to the wife of Interior Minister Avakov, while 1.69% of shares were owned by his son. MP Igor Kotvitskyi, who is allegedly involved in illegal transfer of $40 million from Ukraine, owns 10% of shares.

In 2011, the prosecutor’s office managed to prove that the SDA had abused its power when selling the land plot to Investor. But after the government changed, the company won on appeal and got the property back.

According to Slidstvo.Info, in 2015 the land plot was sold to another company, the main beneficiary of which is Avakov’s wife Inna.

Avakov was the Governor of Kharkivska Oblast from 2005-2010.

Source: Ekonomichna Pravda