The Ukraine’s state broadcast authority is now reporting Swiss authorities in Geneva have just frozen 15 million euros given by Kiev to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) as a guarantee for the successful hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest.
The EBU declined comment on Friday, saying it was an issue for the Ukrainian broadcaster. The Geneva debt office did not provide an immediate comment to News Front.
Ukraine had just staged the annual song fest in May. The event caused controversy after Ukraine banned the Russian contestant, who was a handicapped girl in a wheelchair from entering the country, and Russia retaliated with a boycott.
The National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine said it had given a 15 million euro guarantee to the EBU, which organises Eurovision, and was now due to get its money back because the event had been staged successfully.
However, the Geneva debt enforcement office has frozen this money without giving a reason, the Ukrainian broadcaster said in a statement that quoted its Director General Zurab Alasania.
“We have hired a law firm from Switzerland because we need to find out all the circumstances of the case and determine the procedure of how the arrest happened in accordance with Swiss law,” said Alasania.
This year’s winner was a contestant from Portugal singing a love song about his sister and their love for each other.