Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) confirmed on Friday that a collection of paintings belonging to former President Petro Poroshenko has been sequestered as part of an art smuggling case
KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th May, 2020) Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) confirmed on Friday that a collection of paintings belonging to former President Petro Poroshenko has been sequestered as part of an art smuggling case.
Kiev's Ivan Honchar Museum, where the ex-president is exhibiting his collection of paintings, said that SBI officers had broken into the building for an urgent search. A scuffle between the officers and members of Poroshenko's European Solidarity party broke out. Law enforcement officers seized import customs declarations for these works of art as part of a smuggling case involving the ex-Ukrainian leader. The museum director was notified that illegal actions involving the collection would entail criminal liability.
"I confirm the information. These paintings were sequestered," the head of the SBI's first investigation department, Mykola Armanov, told reporters.
The SBI is working on over 13 criminal cases against Poroshenko concerning illegal activities, including treason, fraud and smuggling, he may have committed while in office.
