High Anti-Corruption Court confiscates top Kherson collaborator's assets

Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court has confiscated part of the assets belonging to Volodymyr Saldo, a Ukrainian politician who defected to Russia and was placed in charge of the occupied part of southern Kherson Oblast, Transparency International Ukraine reported on May 9.

Saldo, who was once Kherson's mayor and councilman, as well as a national lawmaker, is one of the highest-profile Ukrainian collaborators and stands accused of treason. He evacuated Kherson before it was liberated by Ukrainian forces on Nov. 11.

Among the collaborator's assets confiscated by the court are five land plots, four non-residential buildings, two houses, and three apartments in Kherson, Odesa, and the Russian-occupied Crimea.

The list also includes shares in two companies that belong to Saldo's wife, Transparency International Ukraine wrote. The Justice Ministry had asked the court to seize the assets of two more enterprises owned by the collaborator's daughter and her partner, but the ministry apparently failed to prove the links between these assets and Saldo himself.

The State Investigations Bureau said on Jan. 6 that it had found Russian orders to commit crimes against Ukraine in the home and belongings of Volodymyr Saldo.

The investigation bureau said the search of his home and belongings also revealed details about how occupation authorities are structured, as well as evidence of payments in rubles and files on Kherson activists. Russian books, as well as Soviet symbols such as St. George's ribbons, were also found.

Guardian: UK business registered to Russian proxy official despite sanctions

A U.K. business was allegedly registered to Russian proxy official Volodymyr Saldo five months after his name was added to a sanctions list, the Guardian reported on April 27.

Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk