13 November 2024 , 11:31
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Family of Ukrainian MP purchased over $1 million in Dubai real estate as Russia’s invasion intensified, raising questions over funding sources and alleged ties to inflated military contracts.
The family of Hennadiy Kasai, a Ukrainian parliament member from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party, secretly acquired over $1 million in Dubai real estate during Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Ukrainian service revealed Tuesday in its investigation.
Documents from United Arab Emirates public registers, obtained by Schemes, an investigative project from RFE/RL Ukrainian service, and verified with OCCRP, show that Kasai’s daughter and nephew purchased four apartments in Dubai between 2022 and 2023. This period coincided with a procurement scandal involving the Kasai family’s role in supplying military clothing at allegedly inflated prices.
The real estate, spanning premium residential complexes, was acquired during a time of heightened scrutiny over Ukraine’s defense spending. In April 2022, Kasai’s daughter, Polina, 22 at the time, purchased a two-bedroom apartment in the Dubai Gate 2 complex for $310,000.
That same month, Kasai’s nephew, Oleksandr, then 25, bought an apartment in the Studio One complex for $202,500. Oleksandr later acquired two additional properties – a $330,000 apartment in the elite Palm Views West complex on Palm Jumeirah in August 2022, and another unit in Studio One for $240,000 in February 2023.
The source of funding for these purchases remains unclear. Ukrainian Parliament member’s asset declaration and his family’s income records show no apparent legitimate means that would explain the family’s real estate holdings in Dubai, aside from business earnings tied to a contract with Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, which has spurred a criminal investigation.
In 2022, Oleksandr Kasai co-owned a Turkish company, Vector Avia, that secured a $27 million contract to supply military clothing to Ukraine’s armed forces. According to Ukraine’s State Security Service (SBU), the clothing was of inadequate quality and priced three times higher than Turkish customs valuations, prompting allegations of corruption and misappropriation of public funds.
Two Defense Ministry’s officials were charged for their involvement in the deal, although only one of Vector Avia’s co-owners was indicted. Oleksandr Kasai exited the company before authorities issued charges.
The law enforcement confirmed that Vector Avia co-owner, Roman Pletnev, fled to Turkey in 2022. According to border crossing data “Schemes” obtained through various sources, Oleksandr Kasai left Ukraine in May 2023, and has not returned. It remains unclear how he left Ukraine, due to martial law, according to which Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are restricted from leaving the country. He did not respond to the Scheme’s calls or written inquiries by publication time.
Beyond Vector Avia, financial disclosures reveal limited income sources for the Kasai family.
Oleksandr Kasai previously played handball for Motor Zaporizhzhia, a club affiliated with a nationalized aircraft engine manufacturer. He currently holds stakes in a modest Ukrainian business.
Polina Kasai works as a freelance copywriter, with income far below the Dubai property costs. When approached for comment, she hung up after being asked about her Dubai real estate.
Over the last four years, the income of Hennadiy Kasai’s family appears insufficient to cover the value of their new real estate assets, intensifying scrutiny over potential corruption.
In a written response to journalists’ questions, Hennadiy Kasai said his daughter and nephew are grown-ups, who are financially independent and live separately. He, however, couldn’t explain the origin of $1 million spent on Dubai real estate.
Kasai denied involvement in his nephew’s company’s inflated military procurement contract.