Detectives of the Bureau of Economic Security have completed a pre-trial investigation against oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky. He will be tried under four articles. This was reported by Komersant ukrainskyi
with reference to the Bureau of Economic Security.
In particular, Kolomoisky is going to be tried under four articles of the Criminal Code:
- ч. 3 of Article 27, Part 5 of Article 191 (misappropriation of property),
- ч. 3 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 28, Part 2 of Article 200 (illegal actions with bank documents),
- ч. 3 Art. 27, Art. 209 (money laundering),
- ч. 3 Article 27, Part 3 Article 28, Part 2 Article 366 (forgery in office).
At the same time, the investigation into other members of the group organised and led by the oligarch is ongoing.
“We are talking about illegal actions with bank documents during the suspect’s actual failure to deposit UAH 5.8 billion into the bank’s cash desk, as well as the misappropriation of more than UAH 5.3 billion, which were later legalised. Part of the money unjustifiably credited to the oligarch’s personal accounts was formed at the expense of loans from a controlled bank. In particular, it is more than UAH 2 billion,” the BES press service said.
The BES added that detectives also proved that the businessman organised the seizure of more than UAH 3.3 billion from Ukrnafta and participants in joint investment agreements.
In particular, during the pre-trial investigation, it was established that the suspect organised the misappropriation of the company’s funds by entering into fictitious contracts for work that was not actually performed.
The suspect subsequently legalised the over UAH 4 billion he had obtained illegally.
The materials of the pre-trial investigation, where the suspect was served with a notice of suspicion of committing criminal offences under 4 articles of the Criminal Code, are open to the defence for review.
What Kolomoisky is accused of in Ukraine
Igor Kolomoisky is currently in a Ukrainian pre-trial detention centre. Ukrainian law enforcement officers have served him with three notices of suspicion under several articles and cases.
on 2 September 2023, the SBU notified Kolomoisky of suspicion under two articles: fraud and legalisation (laundering) of the proceeds of crime. According to law enforcement officials, between 2013 and 2020, Kolomoisky legalised more than half a billion hryvnias by transferring them abroad and using the infrastructure of controlled banking institutions.
on 7 September, NABU detectives served another suspicion on Kolomoisky and five members of the group he organised – of misappropriating PrivatBank’s funds worth over UAH 9.2 billion.
on 15 September, the SBU served Kolomoisky with a third suspicion – of illegal actions with bank documents, seizure of property by an organised group through abuse of office, and money laundering. According to the investigation, between 2013 and 2014, Kolomoisky illegally seized UAH 5.8 billion through a criminal group consisting of employees of his PrivatBank.
on 3 September 2023, the court for the first time imposed a pre-trial restraint on Kolomoisky: detention with an alternative to bail in excess of UAH 509 million. However, already on 15 September, after a new suspicion was announced, the court re-selected the measure of restraint and increased Kolomoisky’s bail to UAH 3 billion 891 million.
After that, the court extended Kolomoisky’s detention four times, while reducing his bail twice – on 28 November to UAH 3 billion and on 21 December to UAH 2.7 billion.
on 28 February, Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi District Court extended Ihor Kolomoiskyi’s detention for another two months – until 25 April – and reduced his bail to UAH 2.4 billion.
It should be noted that on 8 May, Kolomoisky was served with a notice of suspicion of ordering the murder of a law firm director for personal revenge.
At the same time, back in 2005, a criminal case was already initiated against Kolomoisky in this regard, which was later closed. Back in 2015, former MP and current advisor to the head of the OP Serhiy Leshchenko wrote in his blog about why the case was closed and what it had to do with former Prosecutor General Sviatoslav Piskun and oligarch Viktor Pinchuk.