As Ukraine struggles to fight off Russia in eastern Donbas, business continues — including for politicians.
Ukraine’s 40-year-old Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has sold Hr 8.8 million, or $350,000, worth of real estate to his wife Olena Groysman, according to a state registry that reveals property and income declarations of civil servants.
The transaction took place between Groysman and Magigrand Ltd. – a three-story-high shopping mall – 80 percent of which is owned by Groysma’s wife. Groysman declared the transaction in the state registry on Dec. 30.
It is not the first time that Groysman signed a deal with Magigrand Ltd. Back in December 2016 he sold Hr 8 million to Magigrand Ltd as well. The company was founded in 2008 in his home city Vinnytsia of western Ukraine.
The long-time politician-businessman was born in Vinnytsia and in 2006 successfully won the city’s mayoral election. His rapid rise is allegedly connected to his close relationship with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Groysman’s election success couldn’t have happened without the help of then Nasha Ukraina (Our Ukraine) party, of which Poroshenko was a member at the time. While Groysman was mayor, Poroshenko built a factory for his Roshen confectionery company, which is now considered to be one of the nation’s top-three largest factories.
In 2017, Vinnytsia Oblast was Ukraine’s most successful region attracting investment and having the best business climate in Ukraine, according to the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting. In 2014, Groysman was Poroshenko’s preferred candidate for taking over the prime minister seat from Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
In 2016, his income declaration included Hr 2.4 million, $870,000 and 460,000 euros in cash and another Hr 2.1 million and 16, 200 euros in bank. His wife declared another Hr 1.5 million.
Other politicians have also been involved in business deals. On Dec. 30, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, former prime minister of Ukraine and Inna Avakova, wife of Ukraine’s Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, sold their Espresso TV channel shares to Atmosphere Entertainment Inc., a firm registered in New York but owned by Ivan Zhevago, son of Ukrainian oligarch and lawmaker Kostyantyn Zhevago.
