There is no one who knows exactly how rich he is – of Ukraine’s former president Viktor Yanukovych. More than likely is the 34 million dollars, which he has slussat via Swedbank is just a part of his fortune. According to Ukrainian prosecutors have Yanukovych embezzled over 200 billion from the country’s treasury.
the Case is far from unique. In fact, he is very typical – a majority of the leaders in the post-soviet countries regard political appointments as a way to acquire a personal fortune.
because he was overthrown in Majdanrevolutionen in Ukraine in 2014 and had his palace outside of Kiev converted to a korruptionsmuseum. In contrast to the iraqis and the libyans were the ukrainians careful not to spoil a single detail of Viktor Janukovytjs personal luxury villa Mezjyhirja. It is today a korruptionsmuseum, as thousands of ukrainians annually visit.
the Queues were long when I went out and looked at the Mezjyhirja a few years ago. The area is 137 hectares in size and contains, among other things, a helikopterlandningsbana, a private zoo, a slaughterhouse, a dairy, and a private salon, in addition to the giant villa, with sixteen different species of wood and several meter-high Swarovski-crystal chandeliers hanging in the ceiling.
it has cost the million. But the greater part of the Janukovytjs by corruption hoptjänade fortune is not here. It has to be stopped away in safe places in the west. It is through the established, western banks, post-soviet leaders manage their business. It is therefore no surprise that, for example, Swedbank, according to SVT’s data, in practice, has approved Yanukovych as a customer. He is certainly not the only corrupt leaders who, through various intricate arrangements have managed to get western institutions to accept his money.
But mr Yanukovych, is the most symbolic. During his four years as Ukrainian president 2010-2014 he built purposefully on the corrupt system he had taken over. He maximized his own profit. Also, his sons became in a short time enormously wealthy. When the regime was toppled following months of demonstrations in Kiev 2013-2014 dog at least 105 people and more than 850 were injured.
considered today as one of Europe’s bloodiest ex-presidents, after so many died during the Euromajdan demonstrations. But the fact is that Yanukovych was not particularly violent or konfliktsökande as president. The only thing he wanted was to hold on to their privileges. Without Euromajdan and the Russian inbladningen he had probably succeeded.
Without western institutions that accept this sort of money it would be much harder to use them on. In the post-soviet world, many of the cynical opinion that in the democratic west, it all goes to solve if you have enough money.
so Far, western banks and financial institutions again and again given the cynics right.
