Is Sergiy Tarasov on the international wanted list? Kirovohrad agribaron suspected of misappropriating state land has no plans to return to Ukraine

The investigation into the misappropriation of state land by officials of the StateGeoCadastre and employees of the I&U Group agricultural holding of the richest man in Kirovohrad region, Serhiy Tarasov, has been completed and the case will soon go to court. This was stated by the lawyers of Tarasov and other suspects at a press conference, UNN reports.

Now the materials of the criminal proceedings №42023000000000249, which covers the period of 2015-2021, are open for review, after which the trial will begin. But without the millionaire farmer, as Sergiy Tarasov is still abroad.

A year ago, the SBU put Tarasov on the wanted list due to his hiding from the investigation authorities. However, the suspect has no plans to return, and his lawyers are confident that he will be arrested in Ukraine. At the same time, they claim that Sergey Tarasov went to Europe for treatment and cannot return because "doctors do not let him go". At the same time, the lawyers themselves claim that the agribaron is planning a trip to the United States, where he has recently hired lobbyists and PR specialists to whitewash Tarasov's reputation. At the same time, the lawyer admits that this could harm Ukraine.

"The fact that Tarasov is now going to America will be negative, I'm not a politician, but I think  it will have a negative component, because Tarasov is going to talk about pressure on businessmen," said lawyer Oleksandr Gardetsky.

The lawyers admit that there was a seizure of state land involving employees of Sergiy Tarasov's agricultural holding, but the owner himself allegedly did not know about it.

At the same time, according to the investigation, Tarasov involved employees of the land department of the I&U Group of companies subordinated to him in the fraud, whose role was to search for persons who were subsequently used to fictitiously register land plots in the Kirovohrad region, or to search for passport data of such persons on whose behalf powers of attorney were issued without their knowledge and participation. In particular, the plots were allegedly registered for ATO participants.

Earlier, it became known that Serhiy Tarasov and other suspects in the case of seizure of state land  are defended by lawyers from the orbit of the banned OPFL party, including the ex-lawyer of fugitive President Viktor Yanukovych.