Political scientist Vadym Denysenko has commented on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's speech during the Freedom of Speech program on Monday, November 2, and explained why the chairman of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU) would not be held liable for land deals in Russia-occupied Crimea.
"Yesterday, while speaking during the Freedom of Speech program, Zelensky was indignant that the chairman of the Constitutional Court, [Oleksandr] Tupytsky, openly admitted at a press conference that he had bought land in occupied Crimea and did not declare it [as his asset]. He was outraged, like all of us. But I can tell you how this indignation will end for Tupytsky – nothing will happen," Vadym Denysenko wrote on Depo.ua.
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"The head of the Constitutional Court, Oleksandr Tupytsky, in 2018 became the owner of a land plot in the village of Koreiz, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. He signed a sale and purchase agreement under Russian law, but did not mention this fact in his declaration of assets and income. Is this a violation of current legislation? Yes. Is this cooperation with the occupying authorities? Yes. Is this inaccurate declaration? Yes. But we have already seen this before," the political scientist said. "Tupytsky was just a repetition of the story of NABU [National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine] Director Artem Sytnyk, who a year earlier, in 2017, sold a plot of land in occupied Crimea, which was registered as property belonging to his wife, Anna Sytnyk, to Russians, and paid taxes and fees to the budget of the Russian Federation. Neither the declaration of his wife nor his own, Artem Sytnyk's, mentions the proceeds from the deal. Is this a violation of the current legislation? Yes. Is this cooperation with the occupying authorities? Yes. Is this inaccurate declaration? Yes. Was Sytnyk held liable for this? No, he was not. "
"What did we see at the Freedom of Speech yesterday? The president either is not aware of the precedent with Sytnyk, or they have given the CCU chairman a scathing rebuke in front of us in order to calm people down. Without consequences for Tupytsky. Sytnyk's case has proved this," Vadym Denysenko said.
