Ukrainian court hands ex-president Yanukovych additional 15-year jail term

Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court has handed former President Viktor Yanukovych an additional sentence of 15 years in prison for illegally acquiring a land plot in the Kyiv region.

According to "Politika strany" Telegram channel, the court found Yanukovych guilty of unlawfully taking possession of a 17.5-hectare forest fund land plot located within the territory of the Sukholuchchia village council in Kyiv region. The land is valued at more than 22 million hryvnias, or approximately $508,475.22.

The court established that Yanukovych obtained the land in 2007 while serving as Ukraine’s prime minister. Between 2009 and 2011, a hotel and restaurant complex was constructed on the site and was later used by the former president for personal purposes.

The investigation into the case lasted more than ten years. It began in 2014, following Yanukovych’s ouster from power, when investigators determined that back in 2007, he had initiated a series of decisions that enabled the removal of the land from state ownership. The scheme involved close associates who formally received land plots of up to one hectare each and then changed their designated use. This process ultimately made it possible to transfer the land to a company controlled by Yanukovych.

The construction of the hotel and restaurant complex on the plot took place between 2009 and 2011, and the property was used by Yanukovych exclusively for personal needs.

The case was initially handled by the Special Investigations Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office and was later taken over by the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine.

As all defendants in the case are currently wanted, the trial was conducted in absentia. The verdict will enter into force 30 days after its announcement unless it is appealed.

This marks Yanukovych’s third conviction in Ukraine. Previously, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison for high treason and aiding an aggressive war against Ukraine, and to another 15 years for organising the illegal transfer of individuals across the state border.

By Tamilla Hasanova