Businessman Kolomoisky, several PrivatBank top managers notified of suspicion of embezzling UAH 9.2 bln of bank's funds
MOSCOW. Sept 7 (Interfax) - The law enforcement officers have notified the former ultimate beneficiary of PrivatBank (Kiev) and five of its former top managers of suspicion of misappropriating the bank's funds worth over UAH 9.2 billion, Ukrainian media reported on Thursday citing the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).
"On September 7, 2023, NABU detectives, in coordination with the head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, informed the former ultimate beneficial owner of PJSC CB PrivatBank [Igor Kolomoisky] and five members of the group organized by him of suspicion of embezzling the bank's funds totaling over UAH 9.2 billion," the NABU said.
As reported, the investigators established that "between January and March 2015, the ultimate beneficiary of the Bank, at that time, the head of the Dnepropetrovsk regional state administration, had devised a plan to seize the funds of PJSC CB PrivatBank in order to fund a controlled offshore company and increase his stake in the Bank's authorized capital."
To this end, according to the investigators, the bank was artificially compelled to pay over UAH 9.2 billion to the controlled company under the pretext of allegedly buying back its own bonds at an inflated value."
Later, "a part of that sum amounting over UAH 446 million was transferred for the purpose of legalization to the accounts of three affiliated legal entities under the guise of transactions for the purchase and sale of securities, and then to the accounts of two other entities. In the end, the funds were forwarded to the personal account of the PJSC CB PrivatBank's ultimate beneficiary. He disposed of them at his own discretion, contributing them to the PrivatBank's authorized capital in compliance with the requirements of the National Bank of Ukraine."
This is the fourth episode in the case of misappropriating PrivatBank's funds. Last October, the NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office determined that detectives have collected enough evidence on the three previous counts and opened the investigation materials. On September 6, 2023, the indictment was sent to court.
As reported, in February 2021, the NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office informed the former officials of the bank of suspicion of embezzling over UAH 136 million through an insurance payments scheme. A month later, a new count of embezzling almost $315 million (about UAH 8.2 billion) through a letter of credit scheme was added. In September 2022, the former PrivatBank managers were accused of embezzling an additional UAH 85.2 million.
