“Mazepa case extended for another 9 months

15 February 14:38

The Pechersk Court upheld the SBI’s claim and extended the pre-trial investigation in the Mazepa case for another 9 months – until 28 August 2024. This was reported by the press service of the EQUITY law firm, which is defending businessman Ihor Mazepa in court, reports

“The investigation motivated its motion by the fact that during the investigation, sufficient evidence was not collected to prosecute and transfer the criminal case to the court for consideration on the merits. It is important to note that this criminal proceeding was registered back in 2014 and has been ongoing for almost 10 years, so it remains unclear why this time was not enough to carry out the necessary investigative actions,”

– the firm said.

Who is Igor Mazepa?

Igor Mazepa, who founded Concorde Capital, was born on 2 July 1976 in Kyiv. He holds two degrees in international economics and law, started his career in 1997 as an executive director at a securities trading company, and founded Concorde Capital in 2004. Mazepa also ran for the Verkhovna Rada and was a member of the supervisory board of Ukrsotsbank.

In late May, Mazepa announced the creation of an anti-rating of law enforcement officers and judges who use their powers for illegal purposes.

In October 2023, he became embroiled in a scandal when he flew by helicopter to go hunting in Croatia.

Why Ihor Mazepa was detained

On 18 January, Mazepa was detained by the State Bureau of Investigation while crossing the Ukrainian-Polish border on charges of illegal privatisation of land in the Kyiv region. He is accused of having appropriated the land where the hydraulic structures of the Kyiv hydroelectric power station are located to build the Goodlife Park luxury residential complex in the Vyshgorod district. The complex covers 40 hectares and includes a yacht club, a mini-hotel, a restaurant, a children’s park, sports grounds and a fitness centre.

On 19 January, the Pecherskyi District Court set a preventive measure for Mazepa in the form of detention with the possibility of bail in the amount of UAH 349 million, but later reduced this amount to UAH 21 million. Ihor Mazepa paid the bail and was released.

What Mazepa says

Mazepa commented on his detention, claiming that prosecutors had problems with the calculations, and stated that the only “Russian trace” in the case was the Russian words he heard during his detention. He also noted that the suspicion relates to the allocation of a 2.4-hectare land plot and allegedly caused damage to the state in the amount of UAH 7 million. Mazepa pointed out the discrepancy between the charges and the proposed bail amount.

What the SBI says

SBI spokesperson Tatyana Sapyan explained that the investigation of this crime is complex and takes time, as the case involves a large and complex scheme. She noted that the investigation has reached a stage where the announced suspicions have a sufficient evidence base. The spokeswoman also stressed that the crime concerns seven hectares of land that was re-registered to front men for the construction of cottage townships.

Остафійчук Ярослав
Editor