Ministry of Justice begins process of confiscating assets of former interior minister under Yanukovych

The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has filed a lawsuit against Vitaliy Zakharchenko, former Minister of Internal Affairs during Viktor Yanukovych's presidency. The Ministry of Justice has asked the High Anti-Corruption Court to confiscate Zakharchenko's property in accordance with the sanctions law, according to the ministry's website.

This includes six properties, including two apartments in Kyiv, corporate rights and money in bank accounts.

Zakharchenko was Minister of Internal Affairs from 2011 to 2014.

After the Revolution of Dignity, Zakharchenko fled to russia, where he spread russian propaganda and justified aggression against Ukraine. He publicly supported the occupation of Ukrainian territories, for which sanctions were imposed against him in 2021 (valid until 2034).

In 2022, according to the State Bureau of Investigations, Zakharchenko tried to persuade Ukrainian officials to cooperate with russia, promising them high positions in the occupation authorities. The head of the Kryvyi Rih Defence Council, Oleksandr Vilkul, also said that in the early days of the full-scale invasion, Zakharchenko called him with a proposal to surrender the city to the occupiers.

Earlier, Zakharchenko was also notified of suspicions in the Maidan cases, for organising a series of crimes related to the seizure of state power, abuse of office, embezzlement, misappropriation and appropriation of foreign property, intentional murders, and causing bodily harm.

Source: LIGA.net