Ukrainian officials extort millions of euros from a major Western investor – Financial Times

English-German businessman, one of the largest investors in Ukraine, Arnulf Damerau, has stated that corrupt officials, including those in Zelensky’s administration, are extorting tens of millions of euros from him to cease legal persecution of his business.

This was reported by the Financial Times.

As the publication writes, “one of the largest private Western investors in Ukraine has stated that corrupt officials in the country’s security services and the Office of the President ‘are attempting to extort tens of millions of euros from him.'”

Damerau is a co-owner of the large online casino “Cosmolot,” the tenth largest taxpayer in Ukraine. Following an investigation by the Ukrainian State Bureau of Economic Security, the company was accused of violating gambling laws and tax evasion amounting to 560 million euros. Damerau claims that all allegations against the company are fabricated.

According to the entrepreneur, a Ukrainian individual met him in Vienna in December and stated that the legal actions against “Cosmolot” would be dropped if Damerau were willing to transfer control of half of the company to an offshore trust.

The victim stated that he shared photos and details of the meeting, as well as the names of those involved, with security services in Europe and Washington.

“This is a country that aspires to become part of NATO and the European Union, but what is happening there now from a small minority reminds me of the darkest times of Yanukovych,” the businessman said in an interview with the Financial Times.