New Minister of Agrarian Policy lives in mother-in-law’s apartment worth UAH 17.7 million – investigation

24 September 2024 08:53

Vitaliy Koval, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, lives in an apartment registered in his mother-in-law’s name, which is estimated to be worth UAH 17.7 million. However, the official income of the owner of the apartment does not correspond to this purchase. This is stated in an investigation by Slidstvo.info, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"

Details of the investigation

According to journalists, in August 2023, Vitaliy Koval’s wife, Ksenia Koval, began renting a 170-metre apartment in Kyiv, where the minister’s entire family lives. The property is owned by her mother, Halyna Baraniuk, a 69-year-old pensioner and accountant from Chernivtsi who earned only UAH 495,000 in 2014-2020, which is significantly less than the cost of the apartment purchased in 2021.

According to the data obtained by journalists from archived advertisements for the sale of apartments in the same residential complex, such housing cost between $750 and $925 thousand. Thus, at the end of June 2021, an apartment of 170 square metres was put up for sale for UAH 17.7 million.

The question of the origin of the funds

The journalists noted that Halyna Baraniuk had not sold any other real estate and did not seem to have any sources of income that would allow her to purchase an apartment of this value. Moreover, Vitalii Koval did not indicate in his 2019-2021 declarations any information about loans that could have helped his mother-in-law buy the apartment. Halyna Baraniuk herself refused to explain the origin of the funds, rudely ending the conversation with journalists.

Follow us on Telegram: the main news in a nutshell

Koval’s career path and related companies

Before becoming the Minister of Agrarian Policy on 5 September 2024, Vitaliy Koval was the head of the Rivne Regional State Administration. During his tenure, companies associated with him, such as BBB Montazh, received significant contracts for road construction and maintenance in Rivne region. According to the NGO Anti-Corruption Headquarters, a significant portion of state orders went to Rivneavtoshlyakhbud, which worked closely with Koval’s companies.

Risks for the official

The declarations of the Minister and his family do not answer the question of the source of funds for the purchase of this luxury property. According to Ukrainian law, concealment of property worth more than UAH 10 million is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.