Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation (DBR), along with the National Police and General Prosecutor's Office, confirmed Friday, Jan. 19, the detention of Ihor Mazepa, a Ukrainian businessman and the founder of the investment company Concorde Capital.
According to the investigation, Mazepa has orchestrated an illegal seizure of lands in the Vyshgorod District of Kyiv region to construct a prestigious cottage town, "Goodlife Park". These lands are crucial to state infrastructure as they house the hydraulic structures of the Kyiv hydroelectric power plant.
"Over 7 hectares of Water Fund land, situated along the Kyiv dam between the villages of Khotyanovka and Lebedevka, have reportedly been unlawfully taken away from state ownership. These lands were transferred, without charge, to the private ownership of individuals under control, purportedly for 'gardening purposes'," the National Police reported.
Three additional members of Mazepa's organization, including his brother, have also been detained in various regions of Ukraine. In general, according to the investigation, over two dozen people are involved in this case.
Law enforcement agencies have charged the defendants with offences related to the creation, leadership, and participation in a criminal organization, illegal privatization of state property, and the legalization of property acquired through criminal means.
If convicted, they may face up to 12 years in prison, with the confiscation of their property.
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The Attorney General's Office reported conducting searches at the residences and workplaces of the defendants, including at the offices of Concorde Capital.
The company, however, asserts that the searches were conducted without a court order, alleging unlawful and aggressive actions by law enforcement officers, leading to procedural violations.
The head of Concorde Capital's press service, Anna Dyakonova, disclosed that the prosecutor's office is seeking a bail of 700 million hryvnias (over $18 million) for Mazepa and 500 million hryvnias (over $13 million) for his brother.
Notably, the alleged damage to the state attributed to Mazepa amounts to only seven million hryvnias.
Mazepa, commenting on the latest developments, expressed confusion, stating he didn't understand why law enforcement had detained him instead of detaining an official who greenlighted the allocation of this land.
"...I have not allocated any state lands to anyone. I have not received an answer to the question of whether those who singled out were detained," he wrote on Facebook.
Igor Mazepa, the founder of Concorde Capital established in 2004, has built the company into one of Ukraine's largest investment firms.
Concorde Capital specializes in brokerage and investment services, with direct investments spanning various sectors, including medicine, real estate, energy, mining, and IT.
In 2023, Mazepa announced the creation of an anti-rating of law enforcement officers and judges suspected of abusing their authority.
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