Turchynov sues a number of mass media that published information about his affiliation with currency exchange companies

Secretary of the Council for National Security and Defense Oleksandr Turchynov started a lawsuit against the media holding TRC “Lux” (which incorporates “Channel 24”, national network of radio stations “Radio Lux” and “Radio Maximum”), investigative journalists Denys Bihus and Nadiya Burdey, and also online media outlet “Ukrainska pravda” and demands to refute the allegedly incorrect information they published. The relevant procedure was opened on September 4 in Pecherskyi rayon court of Kyiv city, Glavkom reports. Turchinov contests the claims that he was affiliated with the activities of financial companies LLC “Absolute Finance”, LLC “Magnat”, LLC “Oktava Finance” and their owners, and also his involvement and influence on tax collection agencies to assist the mentioned companies with tax evasion. The media report in question is journalist investigation of the program “Nashi Hroshi with |Denys Bihus”, broadcasted by Channel 24 in the beginning of May of 2017. Also it was published at the web-site of "Ukrainska Pravda". The journalists of the program “Nashi Hroshi with Denys Bihus” exposed the fact that currency exchange points of the companies “Absolute finance” and “Magnat”, registered to spouse equivalent of MP Lukyanchuk Ilona Brodovska, against the requirements of law, are conducting currency exchange without cash registers, so they do not provide automatic tax reporting to the State Fiscal Service. The office of the company owned by Brodovska was received from mother-in-law of Oleksandr Turchynov, Tamara Belyba. In the same office, one more currency exchange company is registered “Oktava finance” – which has a web-site identical to the first company and has the same person as a chief accountant. Even based on official data of the National Bank, the companies “Magnat”, “Oktava” and “Absolute” own in total over 1200 currency exchange points out of total three and a half thousand legal currency exchange points registered in Ukraine.