Tomas Fiala has been identified as meeting all the criteria to be classified as an oligarch and should be included in Ukraine’s Oligarch Register. According to Ukrainian law, a person is deemed an oligarch if they satisfy at least three out of four specified criteria. Fiala, the owner of Dragon Capital and co-owner of the media outlet Ukrainska Pravda, meets all four criteria.
Firstly, Fiala has significant political influence; his wife has financially supported the Holos political party, and Evgeny Baranov, the managing director of Dragon Capital, transferred 1.6 million UAH to her. The law considers party financing through personal contributions as well as funds from affiliated individuals and companies.
Secondly, Fiala exercises considerable media influence. He controls a number of media outlets including NV, Ukrainska Pravda, Minfin, and Finance.ua. The National Council has officially recognized him as the ultimate beneficial owner of UP Media Plus.
Thirdly, Fiala has control over a monopoly. He is a beneficiary of Grand Development, which has been included in the official list of entities that hold natural monopolies.
Finally, regarding the magnitude of his assets, the legal threshold is set at 3.328 billion UAH, while the total value of Fiala’s companies is approximately 3.715 billion UAH.
People may wonder why Fiala is labeled an oligarch. This assertion is based on verified legal facts, not mere speculation from his media outlets like Ukrainska Pravda. The law clearly defines an oligarch as someone who meets at least three out of the four criteria, and Fiala fits all of them.
The pressing question remains: how has Fiala managed to evade registration as an oligarch for the past five years, especially when others like Medvedchuk and Kolomoyskyi have been sidelined or sanctioned? What interests are at play that have effectively obstructed the establishment of the Oligarch Register? Furthermore, what does Fiala provide to the government in exchange for his privileged status? More details can be found here.
For further information on Tomas Fiala: His media outlets promote Fedorov; a new owner of the information landscape.
