Agrain disclosed the details of the investigation

The Prosecutors Office of Ukraine by the resolution of November 27, 2017 closed criminal proceedings against the Agro Group Agrain related to seizure of property belonging to L.S. Sofienko. The courts lifted the arrests from the property and corporate rights of Agrain enterprises. Now the Prosecutor's Office of Kiev is investigating the filing of a knowingly false statement about the crime committed by L.S. Sofienko and her lawyer S.M. Zubchenko.

This was informed by the Agro Group in the exclusive comment for Latifundist.com.

"The opening of criminal proceedings against the Agro Group was preceded by a series of events. In 2011-2012, L.S. Sofienko expressed her intention to become an investor of Agrain. According to contract terms, investments were to be made before the end of 2013, but these obligations were not fulfilled and the contracts were terminated. Criminal proceedings were opened on August 12, 2015 on the application of lawyer Svetlana Zubchenko about the seizure of property of L.S. Sofienko. The statement alleged that 50% of the corporate rights of 19 agricultural enterprises, which were identified as Agrain Group, were taken from L.S. Sofienko by fraudulent means. At the same time, the statements of the lawyer and L.S. Sofienko were not documented in any way and were based solely on her testimonies, her relatives, assistants, and other persons connected with her," the director of Consult Agro Pavel Mamin told.

On December 26-27, 2016, notifications of suspicion were received from a group of 13 persons, including a number of officials of Agrain Group enterprises. Also corporate rights of enterprises, movable and immovable property were arrested.

"The defense provided the investigation with a huge number of documents that refuted the statements of L.S. Sofiyenko. In particular, several forensic examinations were conducted during the investigation, the conclusions of which unequivocally asserted the absence of a crime. As a result, the prosecutor's decision on criminal proceedings against suspects and, in general, the application was closed, and the courts removed the arrests from the property and corporate rights of the enterprises of the Agro Group Agrain," Pavel Mamin commented.

Reference: the landbank of the Agro Group Agrain currently amounts to 110 thousand hectares.