In early June 2024, the network dispersed that the company connected with the Ukrainian president acquired a gambling institution on the Mediterranean Sea. We checked whether this news is true.
The media and Telegram channels claim that Film Heritage, Inc. In early May, she acquired the Vuni Palace hotel in a partially recognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRK). The casino located in this hotel in the publications is called one of the largest in Europe, and the purchase price is estimated at £ 150 million. News notes are accompanied by photographs of the hotel, a video with the logo of the Turkish television company ODATV and a link to the corresponding publication on its website.
The property of Zelensky was owned by the property of the family of the family of Zelensky (""Arguments and facts" Sputnik), and foreign (Greek City Times, Alphanews.live). Telegram channels were actively shared news, including "Live broadcast"(742,000 views at the time of writing this analysis),"Russia now"(213 000),"Uncle Glory"(177 000),"Observer"(154,000) and"Putin in Telegram"(146 000). Information has spread widely outside the Runet - so, one of the English -speaking publications On social networks, X collected more than 3 million views.
In recent months on the network, information on the purchase of Zelensky or his relatives of elite real estate in different parts of the world has been distributed from time to time. "Checked" already Disassembled Similar messages On transactions with mansions in the USA and Great Britain, Villa in Egypt and Goebbels's estate in Germany. All this news turned out to be fakes.
In many publications about the Cyprus casino, the Turkish media ODATV is indicated as the source. This is an independent media exists Since 2007, the country's authorities repeatedly pursued His journalists for their professional activities. A note on a deal with the participation of a close to Zelensky company was posted on the ODATV website on June 1. At the time of writing this analysis, the publication was deleted, but preserved in Archive. The same one and a half -minute video is attached to the note as to the viral posts, the content of the video is retold in the text itself.
The video shows the interface as the only evidence, as states, the “Official Site of the Kazino Hotel Vuni Palace”. The owner of the hotel complex is allegedly indicated at the bottom of the site - Film Heritage Inc.
This legal entity registered in Belize was really mentioned in the published in 2021 investigation Center for the study of corruption and organized crime (OCCRP), based on a leakage of documents, which is known as the "Archive of Pandora". According to investigators, Film Heritage Inc. It belonged directly to Zelensky until 2019, but on the eve of the presidential election in Ukraine, he transferred his share to his wife Elena. At the time of the investigation, the Belize company was a part of the policy of offshore companies related to the family, which also operated in Cyprus.
The address of the hotel and casino site is not named in the video, however, the Casinohotelvunipalacehotel.com domain is mentioned in the screenshot in the email contact address. Site with such an address does not exist, and the interface shown in the video can be found on Casinohotelvunipalace.com. It is impossible to book a room in this hotel through it. According to the service Who.is, the site was registered on May 29, 2024, that is, three days before ODATV published a remote investigation subsequently. It is noteworthy that the site does not have a version in Turkish - Mainly in the Northern Cyprus.
Judging by the data available on the network, the official website of the Vuni Palace hotel is VunipalaceHotel.com. In the Web Archive service, the main page of the hotel complex It appears Since 2006, when the institution met the first guests. The reservation system on the site works uninterruptedly (although most numbers are busy with many months in advance). And most importantly - there is no mention of Film Heritage on this resource. All this suggests that the “alternative” site was created with the only purpose - to reinforce the information that was soon widespread through the media.
On June 4, official refutations appeared. The representative of the Vuni Palace Hotel in a conversation with the Cyprus Mail newspaper declaredthat the hotel is still owned by Oscar Group, founded by the Turkom-Kipriot Erdem Oscar. The company itself emphasized that they do not intend to sell the hotel, and Film Heritage is not among its owners.
On the same day the situation Commented President of Cyprus Nikos Christodulidis. Although the authorities in Nicosia do not control the territory of TRK, they They think It is part of a single Cyprus (from the UN countries, this position is not officially shared only by Türkiye). After the hype rose, the Christodulidis stated that the information that appeared in the media became the reason for the preliminary investigation, but at the moment no evidence was found.
Messages about the purchase of a family of Zelensky hotel and a casino on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea were also refuted at the Embassy of Ukraine in Cyprus. By opinion The diplomatic mission, the “next lie” is aimed at “discrediting Ukraine and its leadership”, as well as “the creation of diplomatic tension between Ukraine and Cyprus”.
Thus, the assertion that Vladimir Zelensky bought a hotel and casino in Northern Cyprus relies on a video, the authors of which give the only evidence - a link to the fake site of this casino, registered shortly before the start of the video. The fact of the transaction was denied by representatives of the hotel and Cyprus authorities.
The earliest Russian-speaking publication, which was “verified”, which was told about Zelensky, an expensive purchase, appeared on June 3 at 13:55 Moscow time in the Telegram channel “Mordor's voice"(103,000 views). This channel has already been repeatedly mentioned in our analysis as distributor misinformation, including about transactions Ukrainian leader with elite real estate.
Photo on the cover: social networks
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