 |
| Ukraine - President Volodymyr Zelenskyy |
About
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a Ukrainian actor and politician who played the role of president of Ukraine for years on a popular national sitcom before launching a successful bid for the country’s actual presidency. Zelenskyy created a political party and named it after his television show, Servant of the People. He assumed office in May 2019, promising to root out the country’s endemic corruption — a mission critics say has been marred by his links to some of Ukraine’s wealthiest and most powerful people.12 In July 2019, Zelenskyy and then-President Donald J. Trump had a phone call about U.S. military aid, and the conversation led to Trump’s first impeachment by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Political Career
- President (2019-present)
Leaked Details in the Pandora Papers
Leaked documents in the Pandora Papers trove reveal that Zelenskyy owned shares in an anonymous offshore entity, as did some of his business partners who are now close political allies. Documents show that Zelenskyy owned a stake in a shell company registered in the British Virgin Islands called Maltex Multicapital Corp, which is described in leaked records as holding shares in film-production and distribution companies.
In March 2019 — just a month before he was elected president — Zelenskyy quietly transferred his so-called beneficial owner shares of the company to Sergiy Shefir, a close friend and business partner who would become one of his closest presidential aides in Kyiv. They had worked together in a film-production business before Zelenskyy became Ukraine’s president.
A document from June 25, 2019, shows that Shefir retained his stake in Maltex after he joined Zelenskyy’s administration. Shefir and Zelenskyy did not respond to ICIJ partners’ repeated requests for comment.
Secrecy Broker
At the heart of the Pandora Papers are 14 offshore firms that help clients establish companies in secrecy jurisdictions. This profile draws on leaked data from these providers:
1. Fidelity
Founded by two Latvian lawyers, Fidelity Corporate Services provided services to 10 politicians and public officials identified in the Pandora Papers. Here are some of the top political figures it served.
Comments
Post a Comment