“Ukrainska Pravda” files civil suit over land at President’s sumptuous residence

The Internet publication “Ukrainska Pravda” is to try via the court to ascertain how much President Yanukovych paid for his land at Mezhyhirya.

On Wednesday 19 October the first hearing is due at the Kyiv District Administrative Court with Ukrainska Pravda as claimant and the Vyshhorod District Administration as respondent.

Ukrainska Pravda has addressed a number of information requests to the Vyshhorod District Administration. It wants to know, in accordance with the Public Information Act., how much President Yanukovych paid in 2010 for the 1.76 hectares in the middle of Mezhyhirya.

It is apparently this land which is directly owned by Yanukovych. The remaining 135 hectares of Mezhyhirya is leased by the firm “Tantalit” and the charity “Ukrainian Renaissance”. 

The Vyshhorod District Administration confirmed that last year they sold the land to Yanukovych however refused to provide the purchase agreement or even information what the price was.

On 7 September the judge initiated reduced proceedings in the case without summoning the parties and asked the Vyshhorod District Administration to provide its objections to the claim.  This, however, it did not do in the time stipulated and so the judge resolved to carry out the examination into the case according to usual rules.

The hearing is scheduled for 12.00 on 19 October. Legal assistance is being provided by the Media Law Institute.