Interior Minister of Ukraine Arsen Avakov has said that criminal cases are being investigated against Russian businessman Konstantin Grigorishin in Ukraine, although the ministry is not involved in the investigation.

"There are cases. They concern economic issues. I cannot comment on this, not persuade me into this. I can say that one of the cases against Grigorishin is being investigated by the State Fiscal Service. It is linked to financial misconduct by Sumy NPO. There was a claim, it was registered, and this is not our investigative jurisdiction. Prosecutor General's Office took it and sent to the State Fiscal Service. The second case concerns Ukrenergo. That's all I can say," he said in an interview with the Ukrainska Pravda publication (the interview was taken on December 19).

He denied a statement of Grigorishin that the latter gave $12 million to Avakov and Viktor Baloha for election: "Pardon, but there are many crazy persons and they are fond of fabling… why $12 million, and not $15 million, $10 million or $80 million?"

Avakov said that he knows Grigorishin, but he has not seen him for a long time.

"I met Grigorishin several times when I lived in Kharkiv. He is an art collector. He has a wonderful collection, including paintings of iconic avant-garde artist from Kharkiv Vasyl Yermilov. I had and now I have several drawings of Yermilov. Grigorishin came and wanted to buy them. Then he said that one is a copy and I decided not to sell the rest of them. These are our relations," he said.

Early December 2015 Grigorishin claimed in an interview with Novoye Vremia magazine that in 2007 he lent $12 million to Avakov for elections.