Ukrainian businessman, former head of the Security Service of Ukraine and former deputy prime minister during the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych, Valeriy Khoroshkovsky, has returned to Ukraine, the TV program Skhemy (Schemes, a joint project of Radio Liberty and the UA:Pershyi television channel) has reported.
Referring to three independent sources, Schemes has reported that Khoroshkovsky, who left the country in 2012, arrived in Kyiv on a private flight on May 21.
Valeriy Khoroshkovsky left Ukraine at the end of 2012. According to media reports, he lived in Monaco.
As reported, in February 2013, GDF Media Limited company owned by Ukrainian billionaire Dmytro Firtash K.H. had bought, in partnership with then head of the presidential administration of Ukraine, current deputy Serhiy Liovochkin, a 100 percent stake in Inter Media Group Limited for $2.5 billion from Media Limited, owned by former First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Valeriy Khoroshkovsky.
The seller explained this step by the lack of opportunity to ensure the development of the group. According to him, the deal was concluded on the basis of an estimated value of $2.5 billion.
In February 2015, Group DF announced that 100 percent of the shares of Inter TV channel are fully controlled and managed by companies owned by Dmytro Firtash (majority stake) and Serhiy Liovochkin (minority stake).
At the same time, the owner’s channel owner Valeriy Khoroshkovsky had a significant share in the ownership structure of the channel indicated on the website at the end of 2016.
At the end of March 2015, several MPs from the People’s Front asked Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin to investigate how businessman Dmytro Firtash and ex-head of Viktor Yanukovych’s presidential administration Serhiy Liovochkin bought Inter TV Channel from former First Deputy Prime Minister Valeriy Khoroshkovsky in 2013.
