Main points
- Ihor Kolomoisky has been charged with new suspicion of fraud with PrivatBank funds.
- According to preliminary data, the amount of fraud may amount to hundreds of millions of hryvnias.
Kolomoisky was charged with a new suspicion / Channel 24 Collage
Businessman Ihor Kolomoisky has been informed of a new suspicion. It concerns fraud involving hundreds of millions of hryvnias worth of PrivatBank funds.
This was reported to the UCP and the SBU.
New suspicion against Kolomoisky: what is known?
Channel 24's sources in government structures confirmed that businessman Ihor Kolomoiskyi was charged with new charges.
Presumably, this is about financial fraud with PrivatBank funds, the amount of which, according to preliminary data, amounts to hundreds of millions of hryvnias.
Later, it became known that the SBU, together with the Prosecutor General's Office, had uncovered new episodes of alleged criminal activity by the former beneficial owner of one of Ukraine's largest banks. This is Ihor Kolomoisky.
In 2014, he and his accomplices illegally seized over 100 million hryvnias belonging to PrivatBank. These were the bank's loan funds, which were used in a so-called re-lending scheme through a network of related companies.
The financial scheme involved withdrawing loan funds from the bank, while their further movement was concealed under the guise of legitimate financial transactions.
Law enforcement officials believe that the related companies received loans without sufficient collateral or real business need. The money was then transferred through different companies and accounts to create the impression of legitimate cash flow.
Some of these assets eventually ended up in the personal accounts of the scheme organizers under the guise of fulfilling contracts. In particular, in December 2014, hundreds of millions of hryvnias were transferred to the suspect’s personal account from an enterprise under his control,
– the SBU found out.
The investigation found that these actions caused the bank losses of 100 million hryvnias. Law enforcement officials note that the exact amount is still being determined as part of the pre-trial investigation.
According to preliminary information, the scheme involved bank employees, managers of related companies, and other individuals who helped transfer funds and execute financial transactions.
Kolomoisky has received his fifth suspicion. This time, under Part 4 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. This is about fraudulent appropriation of someone else's property on a particularly large scale, committed as part of an organized group. The businessman faces imprisonment for a term of up to 12 years.
A pre-trial investigation is ongoing.
By the way , the Supreme Court of Sweden recently refused to open an appeal on the complaint of Cypriot companies linked to Kolomoisky. In fact, previous court decisions remain in force. Previously, Littop Enterprises Limited, Bordo Management Limited and Bridgemont Ventures Limited (LBB) demanded compensation from the state in the amount of more than $ 6 billion – they owned more than 40% of the shares of PJSC “Ukrnafta”. However, the arbitration tribunal concluded that these companies did not make any actual contribution to the capital of “Ukrnafta”, so they do not have the right to apply to international arbitration.
Interestingly, after the restoration of state control over Ukrnafta, profits increased significantly. Prior to that, the company was owned by Ihor Kolomoisky for almost 20 years.
What crimes is Kolomoisky suspected of?
On September 2, 2023, the court remanded Ihor Kolomoisky in custody for 2 months, leaving the possibility of posting bail in excess of 500 million hryvnias. The businessman is suspected of fraud and legalization of property obtained illegally. The investigation suggested that Kolomoisky could have illegally obtained over 570 million hryvnias and later legalized them.
On September 7, Kolomoisky received a second suspicion. He is accused of embezzling 9.2 billion hryvnias from PrivatBank.
On September 15, the businessman received a new, third, suspicion – in illegal enrichment from 2013 to 2014 in the amount of 5.8 billion hryvnias. To do this, the defendant created a criminal group consisting of employees of the bank, in which he was a founder and shareholder.
Kolomoisky has been in custody since September 2023.
On May 8, 2024, the businessman faced a new suspicion, no longer economic. The oligarch is suspected of ordering the murder of a lawyer who refused to cooperate with him. This happened back in 2003.