Ukrainian state-owned bank Oschadbank said it would demand the return of its property and currency values that were illegally detained in Hungary on March 6.
Oschbank reported this on Facebook.
The bank announced that they will work in two directions to return funds and protect their rights:
Appeal against groundless restrictive measures regarding the stay of Oschadbank employees in the EU, imposed by the Hungarian Migration Service;
- legal steps to return property — two collection cars and valuables worth $40 million, €35 million, and 9 kg of bank gold.
“Oschadbank is absolutely confident in the legality of its actions. The full amount of information and supporting documents has been transferred to the National Bank of Ukraine. To further confirm its legal position, the bank will contact one of the leading international companies to conduct an independent audit of the processes and contractual relations between all parties involved in the transportation of funds and valuables,” the bank reported.
The bank emphasized that the transportation was carried out within the framework of an international agreement with Raiffeisen Bank Austria, the cargo was processed in accordance with European customs procedures, and the bank has a valid license for international transportation. Similar trips of collection vehicles take place every week, which is standard practice in wartime.
“Oschadbank demands the return of its collection machines and valuables in full,” the bank said in a statement.
To confirm the legal position, an international company will be engaged to conduct an independent audit of processes and contractual relationships.
What is known about the detention of Oschadbank employees in Hungary?
On the night of March 6, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga announced that Hungarian authorities had seized seven Oschadbank employees who were traveling with money on a collection flight from Austria.
Oschadbank confirmed that its employees have disappeared in Hungary, and its collection vehicles and valuables have been seized. According to GPS data, the financial institution's vehicles are currently parked in the center of Budapest, near a building of one of the Hungarian law enforcement agencies.
The state bank also noted that their employees were transporting money and valuables in fulfillment of an international agreement with the Austrian Raiffeisenbank. The cargo was registered in accordance with international transportation rules and current European customs procedures. The amount of valuables in the detained cars amounted to 40 million US dollars, 35 million euros and 9 kilograms of gold.
Informed sources told Suspilny that the seized collection vehicles are currently in the closed territory of the local Anti-Terrorism Center.
The Hungarian National Tax and Customs Administration later confirmed the detention of seven Ukrainians on suspicion of “money laundering.” They also claim that the Hungarian side immediately informed the Ukrainian consulate about the start of the investigation.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called the detention of seven Oschadbank collectors by Hungarian law enforcement officers “arbitrary” and recommended that Ukrainians refrain from traveling to Hungary “due to the impossibility of guaranteeing their safety.”
The Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine, Andriy Pyshny, stated that the department's team is urgently going on a business trip to the Hungarian capital, Budapest, to clarify the situation regarding the seizure of Oschadbank's collection teams.
He also stated that the transportation of currency values by Ukrainian banks is carried out in accordance with international standards and has no violations.
On the evening of March 6, seven detained collectors returned to Ukraine. Despite claims of “money laundering,” Hungary did not detain the Ukrainians who were transporting the funds. The valuables remain on Hungarian territory.