In Ukraine, there are paintings of world famous artists worth 5 million pounds sterling, or 180 million hryvnias.
The cause of the scandal could be the illegal import of a large number of cultural and historical artifacts. The leader of the “Spravedlivost” (Justice) movement, a candidate for the presidency of Ukraine Valentyn Nalyvaichenko stated this in the “The Right to Govern” program of the 1+1 TV-channel.
He said that VERNON HOLDING Ltd that is an offshore company registered in the British Virgin Islands which among else owned the Lipetsk Confectionery Factory (RF) imported to Ukraine the pieces of art created by world-famous artists for the needs of the Honorary Consulate of Seychelles, headed by Oleg Gladkovsky. We are talking about 45 works, including works by Kazimir Malevich, Ilya Repin, Konstantin Korovin, Ivan Aivazovsky, Isaac Levitan. The worth of these artifacts is 5 million pounds sterling or 180 million hryvnias.
The works came to Ukraine through the temporary import regime “for demonstration during diplomatic meetings,” as stated in the brokerage documents. However, the authorized commission found that the paintings went into private collections, and some of them simply disappeared.
According to Nalyvaichenko “we are talking about only one episode of such offshore activity. Obviously, these paintings were purchased with funds of illegal origin, imported into Ukraine under the cover of a consular office, and import duties were not paid. ”
In this regard, Valentin Nalyvaychenko sent documents to the Interpol for the investigation.