Case description
Ihor Kolomoiskyi, former owner of PrivatBank, is suspected of embezzling UAH 9.2 billion from the bank together with his associates under the guise of "rehabilitation" of the financial institution.
The NABU is investigating an episode related to the events of January-March 2015. It was then, according to the detectives, that Kolomoiskyi and his associates misappropriated UAH 9.2 billion of bank funds to further finance a controlled offshore company and increase the share in the authorized capital of PrivatBank. Thus, the businessman "fulfilled" the requirements of the NBU's Financial Rehabilitation Program for the institution for 2015-2017.
In this case, five other top managers of the bank were suspected:
-
Yaroslav Luhovyi, Director of the Interbank Dealing Department;
-
Oleksandr Dubilet, former Chairman of the Board of PrivatBank;
-
Liudmyla Shmalchenko, Dubilet's deputy;
-
Nadia Konopkina, Head of the Interbank Operations Department;
-
Tetiana Yakymenko, Deputy Head of the Correspondent Bank Accounts Department.
The defendants artificially obliged the bank to redeem its own bonds from the offshore company Drovale Limited by using forged documents, according to which the bank was supposed to pay money to the company as a redemption of securities.
Subsequently, more than UAH 446 million was transferred to the accounts of related legal entities under the guise of securities sale and purchase transactions for legalization. In the end, the funds were transferred to Kolomoiskyi's personal account, who added it to the authorized capital of PrivatBank.
From March 2, 2014 to March 24, 2015, Kolomoiskyi served as the Head of the Dnipro Regional State Administration. This means that at the time of the incriminated actions, he was a Category A civil servant, which places the case under the jurisdiction of the NABU.
The National Bureau suspects him and five other former senior managers of the bank under Articles 191, 209, and 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—misappropriation of property, forgery in office, and legalization of property obtained by criminal means. The NABU called the UAH 9.2 billion case the most large-scale in 2023.
Anti-corruption authorities also attempted to seize Kolomoiskyi's property—307 legal entities, almost 1,000 real estate objects and more than 1,600 vehicles worth approximately UAH 3 billion; however, unsuccessfully. The court refused to seize the property because of the "Lozovyi’s amendments," according to which the investigation in the case had expired before Kolomoiskyi was served with a suspicion notice and a motion was filed to seize the property.
Ihor Kolomoiskyi is also suspected of organizing a criminal group that embezzled over UAH 5.8 billion from the bank. The oligarch is in a pre-trial detention center regarding this case. In addition, the police charged him with organizing a contract killing.
.png)