Ukrainian Interior Minister Acquired 26-Room Italian Villa

The Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov acquired a villa on the Mediterranean coast of Italy in 2017, watchdog Nashi Hroshi reported, citing documents from the Italian business and property registries.

The 566-square-metre villa boasts 26 rooms, two floors and a basement. The property is worth almost 774 thousand euros ($900,000) and is located in the municipality of San Felice Circeo in the Lazio region of Italy.

In 2017, the firm Avitalia S.R.L – 100% of which belongs to Avakov –merged with the Italian firm Ferdico S.R.L. On February 3, 2017, Ferdico S.R.L received a property license for the villa.

At the time of the merger with Avitalia S.R.L, Ferdico S.R.L’s registered capital amounted to 30 thousand euros. Therefore, Avakov became to owner of the 774 thousand euro property for 30 thousand euros.

Avakov used the the company from the Kyiv-based think tank Gorshenin Institute to acquire the Italian villa.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs has stated that the villa, which is owned by Avakov’s company, will be used for his wife Inna’s tourism project.

“This is one of the tourism business-projects, which [Avakov’s] wife is working on as part of the work in the Italian companies. It will be the building for a mini-hotel, purchased for the credit money with the use of assets of Avitalia company,” the Interior Ministry’s communications director Artem Shevchenko stated in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda.

According to Avakov, his wife has been working on this project for one and a half years. However, the project will not be implemented and begin operation until 2019.

“This is one of several tourism businesses my wife is currently working on – legally, officially and transparently, and there is nothing sensational about it,” Avakov stated.

/By Sofia Fedeczko