Ukrainian media are reporting on an extremely important court case regarding the transfer of Viktor Polishchuk's Gulliver shopping center in Kyiv to the Asset and Property Management Agency (ARMA). According to information, the trial on this issue is scheduled for May 17.
The Kiev multifunctional complex Gulliver, consisting of a shopping mall and a business center, was arrested less than a month ago – on April 9. This property with a total area of over 150,000 sq. m is material evidence in a tax evasion case
The owner of BFC Gulliver - the company "Three O" - is accused of failing to pay taxes in the amount of more than UAH 145.8 million, the BEB report states.
In 2019-2021, the facility's management concluded a number of contracts with the fictitious companies "Alexa Group" and "Spetsenergomontazh LTD" for work that was not carried out, which made it possible to overstate the amount of the tax credit. Thus, the owner evaded paying taxes and cashed them out, BEB noted.
In May 2023, the director of the shopping center was informed of suspicion of tax evasion. At the same time, the property – BFC – was recognized as material evidence in criminal proceedings. On
April 9, 2024, he was arrested and on April 26, at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office, a court hearing was to be held, which was postponed to May 3 at the request of the defense.
This meeting was interrupted due to an air raid alert and postponed to May 17.
The Three O company calls the request to transfer Gulliver to the management of ARMA “baseless” and “unfounded,” the company’s press service reported.
“Law enforcement officers have no evidence,” Polishchuk said in a comment to Forbes at the court hearing on April 26. “I have no conclusions that I underpaid anything.”
“Three O” also says there was a gross violation of the principle of proportionality of the value of BFC Gulliver compared to the amount of allegedly unpaid taxes.
If the Gulliver BC is transferred to ARMA, its management may be interesting to many companies from the market.
And Polishchuk will lose his main asset, for which he borrowed $600 million.
