Viktor Volodymyrovych Medvedchuk is politician, public figure, former Member of Oarliament (1998-2002), first deputy of the Head of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (2000-2001), the Head of the Presidential Administration (2002-2005). As of January 2018 he is Head of UKRAINIAN CHOICE – RIGHT OF PEOPLE NGO.

Medvedchuk was active in criticizing Euromaidan events (February 18, 2014 – February 23, 2014) and Orange revolution (November 22, 2004 – January 23, 2005). He claims that it is Washington that sponsors such activity in Ukraine.

UKRAINIAN CHOICE – RIGHT OF PEOPLE NGO promotes ideas of federal system of government, double citizenship, trade and economic cooperation with Russia and the CIS countries.

Medvedchuk represents Ukraine in humanitarian work subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group on the peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

In June of 2014, he was mediator at the preliminary negotiations between the OSCE, official authorities of Ukraine and the self-proclaimed republics “LPR” and “DPR”. On the OSCE website there was a statement that, according to the “DPR minister of information”, Medvedchuk was appointed representative of “DPR” and “LPR” in the negotiations. Later this sentence was removed from the statement text (archive version is available). Medvedchuk himself refuted the statement and claimed that he does negotiate with the militants but does not represent their interests.

Viktor Medvedchuk is on friendly terms with President of Russia Vladimir Putin, who became godfather of his younger daughter. His older daughter, Iryna Medvedchuk, who married Moscow resident Andrey Ryumin in 2006, resides in Russia. Russian journalists published excerpt from the real estate register, according to which Iryna Medvedchuk is the owner of a five-room flat in Moscow.

In 2016, journalists of the “Schemes” program published investigation of the fact that Viktor Medvedchuk regularly makes direct flights between Ukraine and Russia on his private jet despite the fact that since October 2015 the State aviation service of Ukraine stopped direct air communication between the two countries. Journalists discovered that this prohibition applies to planes registered in Ukraine or Russia.

Medvedchuk’s jet bearing the number P4-GEM is registered on the island of Aruba in the Caribbean sea. In response to 112 TV Channel, State aviation service said that from October 25 to November 2016 Medvedchuk’s jet received 21 permits to conduct flights from Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

PRIOR BIOGRAPHY

In 1972-1978 studied at law department of Taras Shevchenko State University of Kyiv.

In April 25, 1974, Lenin People’s Court of Kyiv sentenced Viktor Medvedchuk and two of his acquaintances to 2 years in prison for assaulting a minor male (bodily injuries of medium gravity). Later the sentence was cancelled and case sent for further investigation. This information was made public by MP Dmytro Chobit in his book“Narcissus or Finishing Touches to the Political Portrait of Viktor Medvedchuk”. Medvedchuk sued Chobit and at the court hearing submitted documents confirming that the case against him was closed by the Prosecutor General’s Office of the USSR.

Later he worked as a lawyer, also represented interests of Ukrainian writer Vasyl Stus, who was given a maximum sentence. In court Medvedchuk admitted his client’s guilt, even though the latter plead not guilty. In 2016, lawyers Roman Tytykalo and Illia Kostin published legal analysis of the Stus’ case and reached the conclusion that Medvedchuk violated professional duty of a lawyer and de facto did not defend the writer.

In 1997-2002, he was Member of the Parliament of Ukraine. In 1998, he became leader of the Social Democratic party of Ukraine (united). In 1999, his party supported Leonid Kuchma at the Presidential elections.

In 2000-2001, Medvedchuk was First Deputy Head of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. From June 2, 2002 to January 21, 2005, he was Head of the presidential Administration of Leonid Kuchma.

At 2004 Presidential elections, his party, Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united) (SDPU (u)) supported presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych. In 2004, Medvedchuk was one of the authors of the so-called “constitutional reform” – transfer to parliament-presidential system of government. The point of the reform was to limit authority of future President Viktor Yushchenko.

Technically, Medvedchuk remained head of the SDPU (u) until August 2007.

Since December 2011, he is heading UKRAINIAN CHOICE – RIGHT OF PEOPLE NGO.

BUSINESS AND PROPERTY

In 1992, Viktor Medvedchuk created private law firm “B.I.M”.

The co-founders of this firm were Hryhoriy Surkis, Ihor Surkis, Valentyn Zghursky, Yurii Karpenko, Bohdan Hubskyi, and Yurii Liakh .

This information cannot be confirmed at the Unified Register of legal entities, as there are no electronic notes from that period. However, this information was confirmed by Medvedchuk himself in his interview in November of 2001.

Medvedchuk gave this interview after MP of Ukraine Dmytro Chobit presented his book “Narcissus or Finishing Touches to the Political Portrait of Viktor Medvedchuk” on February 7, 2001. The author make public the previously unknown facts from Medvedchuk’s life, such as 1974 criminal case and information about his business.

In his book, Chobit quoted publication from the Moscow newspaper “Versiya” (of June 6, 2000). The author wrote that through offshore companies “Berli Management” and “Newport Management” Medvedchuk founded the multisectoral concern “National Investmend Fund “Ometa XXI Century” JSC, which also included companies Ometa-trust, Ometa-invest, Ometa-private.

Then, according to Dmytro Chobit, Ometa XXI Century concern founders issued securities and involved 12 thousand investors, to whom, allegedly, no dividends were paid.

In 1995, Viktor Medvedchuk along with his companions founded UKRAINIAN INDUSTRIAL-FINANCIAL CONCERN “SLAVUTYCH” CJSC, which specialized in energy, oil refinement, grain trade, sugar, metal etc.

Referencing “Versiya” newspaper, Dmytro Chobit wrote that in 1998, under the Prime Minister’s directive, state share packages (25%) of the regional power distribution companies (oblenergo of Kirovohrad, Ternopil and Kherson oblasts) were transferred under the management of  “UKRAINIAN CREDIT BANK CJSC”, controlled by Medvedchuk’s associates.

In his interview to “Ukrayinska Pravda” in 2001 Medvedchuk confirmed that he owned shares of “SLAVUTYCH” concern as well as  “UKRAINIAN CREDIT BANK CJSC”, admitted that his associates controlled “Inter” and “TET” television channels. According to Medvedchuk, his business was associated with oil products supply and agriculture. Medvedchuk also claimed that in 1997, after becoming a Member of Parliament, he sold his business and deposited the money to the bank. As of 2001, Medvedchuk also admitted to being a dollar millionaire.

In August of 2002, Viktor Medvedchuk filed a lawsuit against Dmytro Chobit on the grounds of protection of honour, dignity, business reputation and compensation of moral damage. Medvedchuk demanded to refute information from the book on 99 assertions. On November 2003, Medvedchuk dropped his demands on 12 points concerning the chapter on his business activity.

On July 4, 2007 the Supreme Court of Ukraine dismissed the appeal of Medvedchuk against Chobit to refute the information.

Previously, in 2004, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine registered Draft Resolution on creation of an Interim investigation commission “On inspection whether the activity of citizen of Ukraine V.V.Medvedchuk on behalf of foreign companies and created with their help commercial structures is in compliance with the current legislation”.

Members of the parliament who created the Resolution were Vasyl Chervonii, Serhii Oleksiiuk, Volodymyr Yavorivskyi and Stepan Khmara.

In the explanatory note, it was stated that Medvedchuk controlled the company NEWPORT MANAGEMENT LTD from the British Virgin Islands, which owned 75% of Ukrainian Industrial Financial Concern “Slavutych” CJSC. Authors of the note were guided by the documents featuring in Medvedchuk’s lawsuit against Chobit.

“According to the power of attorney signed and authenticated by director of the British company NEWPORT MANAGEMENT LTD Shauna  Louisa White of July 5, 1995 and issued to citizen of Ukraine Viktor Medvedchuk, the latter had the right to own and manage all movable and immovable property of the offshore firm and to make any operations with its funds and assets in all parts of the world. Meaning that citizen of Ukraine V.V.Medvedchuk almost had the ownership right to the British company.

The evidence that it was not Shauna Louisa White who was the owner of British firm NEWPORT MANAGEMENT LTD, but Ukrainian citizens, can be found in the meeting protocols of the famous seven  from Kyiv, namely V.Zghursky, Yu.Karpenko, Yu.Liakh, V.V.Medvedchuk, B.Hubskyi, H.Surkis, I.Surkis of November 29 and 30, 1995, which were held in Kyiv and Zurich (Switzerland). Shauna Louisa White attended the meeting in Switzerland. One of the issues under discussion was to vest V.V.Medvedchuk with the authority to sign the Statute and the Articles of Incorporation of the Closed Joint Stock Company Ukrainian Industrial-Financial Concern “Slavutych” from the British firm NEWPORT MANAGEMENT LTD., said the note.

In addition to the explanatory note, the MPs submitted copies of the NEWPORT MANAGEMENT LTD. meeting protocols, power of attorney in the name of Medvedchuk from NEWPORT MANAGEMENT LTD.  and others.

On February 23, 2006, the Verkhovna Rada voted to withdraw the draft resolution on creating an interim investigation commission to inspect Medvedchuk as the one that became irrelevant and requires further drafting.

In 2013, the Focus magazine estimated Viktor Medvedchuk’s fortune at 270.5 million USD.

NEWPORT MANAGEMENT LTD. is still the primary owner of “SLAVUTYCH” concern with 65.9% share of the authorized capital. However, it is unknown whether it is controlled by Viktor Medvedchuk. Likewise, based on the official data from the Ministry of Justice register of legal entities, he does not admit to being the beneficiary owner of “SLAVUTYCH” concern.

On December 6, 2016, Espreso.tv quoting their own sources published the information that players of FC “Dynamo “Kyiv”, co-owned by Ihor Surkis, get most of their salary through the offshore company. This information is partially verified by the data from the register of court decisions in the case of division of property on the appeal of the FC “Dynamo” player’s wife. In the court decision, it is stated that the footballer received payments not from the football club, but from NEWPORT MANAGEMENT LTD. According to Espreso.tv estimates, in 2013-2015 FC “Dynamo” could have evaded 30 million USD worth of taxes.

In August of 2015 MP Serhiy Leshchenko published information, that Viktor Medvedchuk purchased a five-decked yacht Royal Romance for 200 million EUR, which carries the Bermuda Islands flag. Leshchenko had information that Mevedchuk acted as a commissioner of the agreement to sell Vitalii Haiduk’s shares in “Industrial Union of Donbas” to Russian public corporation “Vnesheconombank” at the time when its supervisory board was headed by Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation. Over a billion USD was allegedly paid for the shares.

On February 6, 2016, Ukrayinska Pravda published their journalists investigation of the fact that Ukrainian thermal power plants under pretense of coal from the South African Republic purchase anthracite from the occupied Donbas from a company associated with Viktor Medvedchuk.

The journalists published the copy of the contract of December 16, 2014, between the public company “Centrenergo” PJSC and ARIDA GLOBAL LIMITED  (Hong Kong). On behalf of ARIDA GLOBAL LIMITED, the document was signed by the company’s representative by the power of attorney – Mykyta Poz. He is known to be a director and co-owner of Konsul-Ukraina LLC, which specializes in hotel business and leased a plot of land from Bobrov sanatorium for tuberculosis treatment in order to build a country house for Viktor Medvedchuk. Taras Kozak, Member of Parliament from “The Opposition Blok”, at the time of his election to the parliament, was Head of the Board at “Private Counsellor”, co-founder of which happens to be Mykyta Poz. Kozak is member of the coordination council of UKRAINIAN CHOICE – THE RIGHT OF PEOPLE NGO, while his brother Bohdan has joint business with Medvedchuk’s brother Serhii. Thus, Bohdan Kozak and Serhii Medvedchuk co-own UkrInvestLimited LLC, ZakhidExpertSpetsBud LLC, TransMonolitAvto LLC, Kerambud LLC, Eksponent LLC, Betonbud LLC, Kapital Plaza LLC.

On April 24, 2017, Kharkiv oblast Prosecutor’s office registered the criminal proceeding No. 42017220000000357 under part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, abuse of office.

According to the case file, a group of people organized supply of coal to Ukraine allegedly imported from the South African Republic and Russia, which in reality was exported from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. Whereas officials of the Customs checkpoint Kharkiv-Central of the State Fiscal Service Kharkiv customs office, abused their authority in order to get unlawful benefit, took care of the customs clearance of the coal.

Namely, Trading house-Resurs LLC, Public Enterprise of foreign economic activity “Ukrinterenergo”, Public enterprise “Coal Company” and Centrenergo PJSC supplied coal under the contracts with CORTEX SALES LIMITED, Sovewіск Ноlding Limited, ARIDA GLOBAL LIMITED, RZD Logistika JSC and Rusneftedobycha LLC.

A company from this list, CORTEX SALES LIMITED, is also known as a contractor of MBK AGROTEKHNIKA, and Oksana Marchenko, Viktor Medvedchuk’s wife, is the beneficiary owner of the company.

The court decision of October 13, 2015, on access to the documents states that the investigation had at their disposal the data that in 2010-2014, CORTEX SALES LIMITED was one of the companies that received money for liquefied gas sale from the group of individuals headed by Serhii Kurchenko.

After the information about Viktor Medvedchuk’s alleged connection to coal supply from the occupied territories appeared in the mass media, he registered his official business in his wife’s name, Oksana Marchenko, in March of 2016.

INVESTMENT COMPANY “HARMONY” LLC was central to Medvedchuk’s structures. On March 11, 2016, Medvedchuk’s wife became the founder of the company instead of him. It automatically made her beneficiary of a number of Ukrainian and foreign firms.

As of today, Mrs. Marchenko indirectly owns INVESTMENT COMPANY “TERRA-INVEST LLC, INVESTMENT COMPANY “UKRCAPITAL” LLC, INVESTMENT COMPANY “SPORT-TOUR” LLC, INTERMAY MANAGEMENT LTD (London) and LARIDGE INVESTMENTS LIMITED (London).

INVESTMENT COMPANY “HARMONY” LLC, founded by Mrs. Marchenko, also owns BREVISA HOLDINGS LTD (Cyprus) and KIRENA HOLDINGS LTD (Cyprus).

Oksana Marchenko also became beneficiary owner of the companies Private Agricultural Company “OSKAR”, Private Agricultural Company “RODNICHOK”, Private Agricultural Company “KOLOS” , TAMAVAROVUDEKSPORT LLC, LANDRAS-AGROLANDRAS-AGRO LLC, HALYTSKA AHRARNA KOMPANIA LLC (GALICIAN AGRARIAN COMPANY), “HALAHROBIZNES MZ” Private Enterprise, “HALYCHYNA –ORHANIK” (GALICIA – ORGANIC) Private Enterprise, MBK AGROTEKHNIKA LLC. The above are agricultural companies.

In November of 2016, journalists filmed Medvedchuk arrive from Moscow to Kyiv on a private jet with Israeli businessman Nisan Moiseev. It is Moiseev who controls the Swiss company Glusco Energy SA that bought assets of the public company “Rosneft” in Ukraine – 150 petrol stations, network of petroleum depots and Lysychansk oil refinery. Moiseev claims that this is just his business and his connection to Medvedchuk is purely friendly, not business one.

According to Prozorro system, in November of 2017, Optimusoil LLC won the first state tender to supply diesel fuel for Ukrzaliznytsia PJSC (Ukrainian Railways) for 216 million UAH. In January of 2018, Optimusoil LLC received another order from the railway for 781 million UAH. According to media information, the company was created in 2014 by the name Mass Trans 55 and at the time belonged to Nisan Moiseev Glusco Energy SA. As of today, Petro Belz is registered as the founder of the company.

It can be found in mass media sources, as well as in open state registers that Viktor Medvedchuk personally owns homes at 150 and 152, Vyshhorodska Str. Total area of the premises is 2947 square meters. He also owns over 6ha of land at the same address. Next to it is another 5.4 ha plot of land, registered to INVESTMENT COMPANY “UKRKAPITAL” LLC, formerly owned by Medvedchuk, and now owned by his wife.

Media publications cite cadastral map when telling that Olena Pinchuk (Franchuk), daughter of Ukraine’s ex-President Leonid Kuchma, owns a manor right next to Medvedchuk’s. From June 12, 2002 to January 21, 2005 Medvedchuk was head of Kuchma’s Presidential Administration.

Base of FC Dynamo-Kyiv co-owned by Ihor Surkis, Medvedchuk’s business partner, is also located nearby.

In 2011, the mass media published admission of guilt protocol from ex-head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine, Mykhailo Chechetov. He claimed that allowed unlawful privatization of houses in Pushcha-Vodytsia for the benefit of FC Dynamo-Kyiv under the pressure of Medvedchuk, the then head of Presidential Administration. This claim did not get the logical development, and in 2015, its author jumped out of the window.

Beside the above-mentioned, INVESTMENT COMPANY “UKRKAPITAL” LLC that belongs to Medvedchuk’s wife, also owns other real estate on the territory of Ukraine. Namely, recreation base Beskyd in the Carpathian mountains. Total area of the plot of land is 3 ha, while houses are 4.5 thousand square meters. 13 flats in Kyiv at 27B, Tarasa Shevchenka Boulevard are also registered to the same company. Flats range from 150 to 212 square meters. In addition, the company sued the developer and got 12 flats at 9a, Hrushevskoho Str. (court decisions no.1, no.2, no.3).

According to the register of real property rights, INVESTMENT COMPANY “SPORT-TOUR” LLC (beneficially owned by Oksana Marchenko) owns almost 6-thousand-square-meter estate in the Crimea, along with balconies, open terraces, swimming pool and a helipad. The complex was constructed on the territory of the former Baranov sanatorium, which stopped functioning in early 2000s. In 2013, the mass media informed that SPORT-TOUR cut off access to the sea of the children’s sanatorium for tuberculosis treatment.

According to the register of rights to real estate,  INVESTMENT COMPANY “SPORT-TOUR” LLC owns a 609-square-meter manor at 57, Obolonska Naberezhna, 34 ha for the sports base in the town of Ukrainka of Obukhiv district of Kyiv region, 849-square-meter villa in Parazhyn wilderness park at Zakarpattia. The latter was constructed in early 2000s, at the time when Medvedchuk was head of Kuchma’s Presidential Administration.

According to the  register of court decisions, on March 23, 2014, the Pravyi Sector representatives entered Medvedchuk’s villa in Parazhyn, Zakarpattia, known as “Bear’s grove” (legal owner – INVESTMENT COMPANY “SPORT-TOUR” LLC). Criminal investigation of the house robbery was opened. According to the prosecutor’s office, 10 million UAH worth of pictures (26 pcs) and icons (6 pcs) by Ukrainian artists was stolen. According to the Pravyi Sector, they simply guarded the building and never took any assets. As of now, there are no verdicts on the case. Indictment of Zakarpattia Pravyi Sector leader Oleksandr Sachok was sent to court, but in 2017 the court returned it back to the prosecutor twice as it did not conform to the Criminal Procedural Code of Ukraine.

On January17, 2014, after Russia annexed the Crimea, Canada and the United States of America imposed sanctions over Viktor Medvedchuk.

The Canadian government explained that it imposed sanctions against individuals that contributed to the Crimea annexing and violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity by Russia.

The US noted that Medvedchuk is a close associate of Putin and implicated in destabilization of situation in Ukraine, is leader of organization, members of which “are involved in actions and politics that undermine democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine, jeopardize peace, safety, stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”.

On June19, 2014, in response to the threat of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine from Russia, Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of Australia imposed sanctions over a number of Russian and Ukrainian politicians, including Viktor Medvedchuk. The sanctions expire on June 19, 2017, if not prolonged by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia.