Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office has confirmed that the country's third president Viktor Yushchenko is suspected of taking possession of a building complex and structures of the Mezhyhirya Residence, as well as a house in Novi Petrivtsi (Kyiv region) and land plots worth UAH 540 million.

Spokeswoman for the Prosecutor General Larysa Sarhan told the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency that a written notice of suspicion was drafted and sent to Yushchenko on May 24, 2019 in the pretrial investigation of a criminal case opened on December 25, 2015.

"[Yushchenko], acting according to a prearranged scheme with a group of individuals, by means of misusing his position, took possession of state-owned property, a building complex and structures at Mezhyhirya and a house in Novi Petrivtsi, as well as land plots where it was located. The value of the property is UAH 540 million. (Part 5 of Article 191 of Ukraine's Criminal Code," Sarhan said.

As reported, Member of Parliament Serhiy Leshchenko said the PGO served Yushchenko a notice of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 191 (appropriation, embezzlement of property or seizure of it by abuse of official position) of Ukraine's Criminal Code in the case involving the removal of Mezhyhirya from state property in 2007.