Interior Ministry: Hayovy detained in Italy, could be transferred to Ukrainian law enforcers

Hennadiy Hayovy, a business partner of former Head of Kharkiv Regional State Administration Arsen Avakov, has been detained in Italy, and the question of his transfer to Ukraine's investigative agencies is being considered, the chief of the main investigation department of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, Vasyl Farynnyk, has said.

"He actually has been detained in Italy... The question of his transfer to Ukraine's investigative authorities is currently being considered," he said in Kyiv on Thursday during a roundtable meeting in the Komsomolskaya Pravda v Ukraine newspaper.

However, he said that the documents had not yet been sent to the Italian side.

Earlier, a police source told Interfax-Ukraine that Hayovy was arrested by Interpol in Frosinone (Italy) on November 12.

Avakov said on Thursday, November 15, that Rome Court of Appeal decided not to detain or not to arrest Hayovy.

"Having considered all of the circumstances of the case and the position of the police, given the earlier decision in the case on my extradition (denial) – Rome Court of Appeal decided not to detain and not to arrest Hayovy and give him complete freedom until the case is considered as a whole!" he wrote on his page on Facebook.

"On November 13, Havovy came to the police department in Frosinone (Italy, Lazio). He said that he had learned that the Ukrainian Interior Ministry had submitted an application to Interpol about his search and arrest. Hayovy informed the Italian police about the place of his residence and work, the trumped-up criminal case opened against employees of JSC Investor and against him, the political expediency for the current government as a key motive in this case, that he does not agree with the charges, and requested extradition and that he is ready to prove his innocence in an independent, unbiased court," Avakov said.

In the summer of 2011, a criminal case was opened over the fraudulent receipt by unidentified individuals of a land plot of about 700 hectares on the territory of a village council in Kharkiv district, Kharkov region.

On July 7, 2011, searches were conducted as part of this case at Basis Bank, JSC Investor and other structures owned by Avakov, the former governor of Kharkiv region and the head of the Kharkiv regional branch of the Batkivschyna All-Ukrainian Union.

In September 2011, three persons were detained as part of this case, including Investor CEO Andriy Pereyedenko. The deputy head of the company, Hayovy, and a company employee, Denys Opryschenko, were put on the wanted list.