During the pre-trial investigation, detectives of the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine found that the scheme to legalise more than UAH 4 billion by oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky was carried out with the participation of a bank of one of the sanctioned oligarchs, who is on the international wanted list, Komersant ukrainskyi
reports
The name of the oligarch is not specified, but the case file suggests that it is fugitive oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko.
The Bureau of Economic Security reported that Kolomoisky, in order to conceal the origin of the illegally obtained funds, organised the introduction of false information into the records of controlled banks.
“Thus, Kolomoisky allegedly deposited cash to his own account at Privatbank, then sold the money to Real Bank, after which he concealed the facts of the availability of cash on the bank’s accounts by imitating several banking transactions with controlled companies and withdrawing part of the cash. As a result of these operations, the lack of cash was concealed in the reporting to the NBU at the end of the banking day,” the statement said.
It should be noted that Real Bank was owned by businessman Serhiy Kurchenko, who fled to Russia.
It was also established that the scheme to disguise the illegal origin of funds lasted for 2 years.
Recently, the detectives of the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine have allocated the materials of the pre-trial investigation against Kolomoisky to a separate criminal proceeding, where they announced the completion of the investigation under 4 articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: part 3 of Article 27, part 3 of Article 28, part 2 of Article 366, part 3 of Article 27, part 3 of Article 28, part 2 of Article 200, part 3 of Article 27, part 3 of Article 209, part 3 of Article 27, part 5 of Article 191. The defence has access to the pre-trial investigation materials for review. At the same time, the investigation against other members of the group organised and managed by the oligarch is ongoing.
It is about illegal actions with bank documents during the suspect’s failure to actually deposit UAH 5.8 billion into the bank’s cash desk, as well as the misappropriation of more than UAH 5.3 billion, which was 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.
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 legalised the over UAH 4 billion he received illegally.
Currently, the pre-trial investigation materials are open to the defence for review.
What Kolomoisky is accused of in Ukraine
Ihor 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 a 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.