Cyprus government investigates claims Zelensky-owned company purchased 5-star casino hotel

06/10/2024 / By Kevin Hughes

The government of the island nation of Cyprus is investigating claims that a corporation allegedly owned by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently bought a five-star casino and hotel.

This allegation comes from a report from Turkish media outlet OdaTV. According to the report, Film Heritage Inc., a company disclosed by the 2021 Pandora Papers leak to allegedly be owned by Zelensky, purchased the Vuni Palace Hotel in Kyrenia in the disputed Turkish Republic of North Cyprus.

Previous reporting suggests that Film Heritage Inc. was the name of a corporation owned by Zelensky’s wife, Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska, and which has held assets in Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Belize and Cyprus. (Related: Report: Zelensky using proxies to buy LUXURY YACHTS worth $75M with U.S. money.)

The news outlet did not reveal how much Film Heritage paid but said online records show the asking price for Vuni Palace was 150 million British pounds ($191 million). It also reported that the hotel stopped taking reservations online “probably due to the ownership changing process.”

The OdaTv report also mentioned that “Volodymyr Zelensky is raising funds by preaching to the world that Ukraine needs help against the ‘Russian occupation.’ While Western countries were sending money, weapons and ammunition to Ukraine as a unit, Zelensky entered the casino business instead of managing the war. It was known that a company owned by Zelensky bought a casino in Cyprus.”

Vuni Palace Hotel disputes claim it is owned by Zelensky-linked company

A spokesman for the hotel told Cyprus Mail on that the hotel is still under the ownership of the North Cyprus-based conglomerate, Oscar Group of Companies. The Oscar Group spokesman stated that the company still owns the Vuni Palace Hotel and that Zelensky is not one of the group’s stockholders.

The spokesman asserted that the name was a coincidence and that a corporation by the same name had developed the casino’s website. He also said that the corporation had no intention of selling the hotel.

According to Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, the issue is being investigated by the government, but “so far, nothing of the sort has emerged.”

“When the investigation has been completed … we will be able to say more, but at the moment I can tell you that as of five minutes ago, I have been informed that no such thing is emerging. We shall see later,” Christodoulides said, adding that the investigation is being carried out alongside other nations.

The Ukrainian embassy also dismissed the report calling it Russian propaganda.

“In reality, this fake information is yet another lie aimed at discrediting Ukraine and its leadership in the eyes of the world community,” the Ukrainian embassy said.

“The information itself is false. Its dissemination is also intended to create diplomatic tensions between Ukraine and Cyprus. We urge readers and media professionals to trust only reliable sources and to be cautious of manipulations and Russian propaganda.”

Follow Corruption.news for more news about corruption allegations against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his government.

Watch the video below about Zelensky being caught buying a $75 million luxury yacht with aid money received from the United States.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.