One of Ukraine's biggest juice producers, Vitmark Ukraine, complained on Aug. 23 that its head office in Odesa was taken over by raiders and its work was paralyzed. The company is a part of the portfolio of Horizon Capital, an investment company that has been operating in Ukraine under various brands since 1995.
“Everything has been
confiscated, including the computers, the business has been stopped
cold,” says Natalie Jaresko, CEO and founding partner of Horizon
Capital, the investment company.
Jaresko said the raid by
the prosecutor’s office and the special police department for
organized crime took place after a court decision on the same day
that she described as initiated by individuals who used to work for
the company, and is “nothing to do with business.”
“It happened on a Friday
afternoon, before the long holidays, which is worrying,” Jaresko
said.
Odesa’s police department spokeswoman said they were not involved in the case. She said the Odesa prosecutor’s office was involved.
Neither the Odesa prosecutor’s office, not the general prosecutor’s office could be reached for comment.
Vitmark Ukraine produces
popular Jaffa and Nash Sik juice brands, among others, that is sold
in Ukraine and is exported to 21 other countries. The company has six
offices in Ukraine’s biggest cities, two production facilities in
Odesa and Vinnytsia region, and employs 2,000 people.
In a statement released on
Aug. 23, Vitmark Ukraine said that their attempts to find out reasons
for a sudden attack on their office by the law enforcers were
unsuccessful. It said that the company is one of the biggest
taxpayers in the region and is regularly audited to ensure high
standards of conducting business.
“The company pays all
the taxes enivsaged by the Ukrainian legilation, and all of the
financial activity of Vitamrk-Ukraine, including the payment of wages
to workers and settlements with suppliers of goods and services, the
company’s partners, is completely legal and transparent,” Vitmark
Ukraine said in a statement.
In a separate statement,
Jaresko said that Horizon Capital “will defend our property rights
by all legal means. We have fiduciary
duty to our investors, including American and European investors, and
international financial organizations.”
