Ukraine media outlets have tracked down the mysterious gift-giver behind a 2-kilogram pure gold "bread loaf" found at the abandoned estate of ousted President Viktor Yanukovych.
Citing prosecutors, news website Unian.org said Monday the head of Ukrainian machinery maker JSC Sumy Frunze NPO had been linked to the loaf in notes written by the head of security at Yanukovych's Mezhyhirya residence, outside Kiev.
Vladimir Lukyanenko presented the 2-kilogram paperweight to Yanukovych last year as a birthday present, the report said.
Pictures of the "gold loaf" went viral immediately after protesters found it at the abandoned Mezhyhirya residence, which also reportedly sports gold-plated toilets.
The extravagant estate now hosts refugees from eastern Ukraine who have fled ongoing civil strife in the region.
Lukyanenko refused to comment on the matter, and a call to his spokeswoman was met by insults, the news report said.
Yanukovych was ousted in February after prolonged and increasingly violent street protests prompted by allegations of corruption and authoritarianism as well as a last-minute rejection of European integration in favor of closer ties with Russia.
JSC Sumy Frunze NPO, which traces its history back to 1896, produces equipment for the oil and gas industry, including gas compressor stations and gas condensate processing plants.
See also:
Ukrainians Claim Grounds of Yanukovych's Lavish Mezhyhirya Residence
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