Police open fraud case against Mage Veliar, MP says

Mage Veliar. Photo: Screenshot of video t.me/yzheleznyak

The National Police of Ukraine has opened a criminal case under fraud charges following an appeal by MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak concerning individuals who describe themselves as magicians, including Bohdan Oryshchenko, better known as Magician Veliar. The lawmaker announced this on his Telegram channel, publishing an excerpt from the criminal case materials.

According to the document, investigators are examining information that the suspects, “acting deliberately for financial gain and using the Internet (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram), systematically obtained citizens’ money through deception and abuse of trust under the guise of providing occult, magical, and consulting services.”

Zhelezniak recalled that he had previously submitted materials regarding two possible offenses: fraud and tax evasion.

“Following the results of our investigation, the National Police has opened a case against the magicians. Specifically, under the article on fraud,” the MP stated, adding that the issue of possible tax evasion falls within the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Economic Security.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Zhelezniak had initiated an investigation into Magician Veliar, alleging that he deceived clients and that there was a discrepancy between his declared income and his public claims of earning millions.

The UOJ also reported that Veliar staged blasphemous actions outside the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, where he and activists conducted a mock “funeral service for the UOC,” using church symbols in a deliberately mocking manner. He later appeared as a witness for the SBU in the case of Orthodox human rights defender Victoria Kokhanovska.

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