Economic Bureau wraps up Kolomoisky investigation: Facing four major charges
The Bureau of Economic Security (BEB) has completed its
investigation against oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, resulting in charges under four
articles of the Ukrainian Criminal Code.
The BEB announced on Telegram
that detectives have separated the pre-trial investigation materials related to
the oligarch into a separate criminal case, concluding the investigation under
Article 27 Part 3, Article 28 Part 3, Article 366 Part 2, Article 27 Part 3,
Article 28 Part 3, Article 200 Part 2, Article 27 Part 3, Article 209 Part 3,
and Article 27 Part 3, Article 191 Part 5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Investigations continue into other participants of the organized group led by Kolomoisky. These investigations focus on illegal actions involving banking documents during the failure to deposit 5.8 billion hryvnias ($140 million) into the bank’s cash register, as well as the embezzlement of over 5.3 billion hryvnias ($128 million), which were later laundered.
Part of the unjustifiably credited funds to Kolomoisky’s personal
accounts came from loans from a controlled bank, specifically over 2 billion
hryvnias ($48 million).
Additionally, detectives have proven Kolomoisky’s organization of the embezzlement of over 3.3 billion hryvnias ($80 million) from Ukrnafta and related joint investment agreements. The pre-trial investigation revealed that Kolomoisky organized the misappropriation of funds from the joint-stock company through fictitious contracts for work that was not actually performed.
According to the BEB, Kolomoisky later laundered over 4
billion hryvnias ($97 million) obtained illegally. The pre-trial investigation
materials have been made available to the defense for review.
Ihor Kolomoisky’s cases
In September 2023, the SBU, BEB, and the Prosecutor General’s
Office issued Kolomoisky a suspicion notice under Articles 190 and 209 of the
Criminal Code of Ukraine for laundering property obtained through fraud.
The SBU believes that from 2013 to 2020, Kolomoisky
laundered over half a billion hryvnias by transferring funds abroad using the
infrastructure of controlled banks.
Two additional suspicions were issued to Kolomoisky on Sept.
7 and 15 for embezzling over 9.2 billion hryvnias ($222 million) from
PrivatBank and illegally acquiring 5.8 billion hryvnias ($140 million).
On Sept. 2, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv
imposed a 60-day detention on Kolomoisky in Dnipro with the possibility of bail
set at over 509 million hryvnias, which was later increased.
On April 22, 2024, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court
extended Kolomoisky’s detention until June 2, 2024, and reduced the bail amount
to 1.96 billion hryvnias ($47 million).
On May 8, law enforcement announced a new suspicion against Kolomoisky for organizing a contract murder. The investigation alleges that he ordered the killing of the director of a legal firm out of personal revenge for failing to annul and invalidate decisions made at the general meeting of shareholders of an open joint-stock company.
He allegedly involved “gang
members” in the crime. The victim sustained blows and knife wounds to vital
organs, but the crime was not completed, according to prosecutors.
On Aug. 9, the BEB revised the charges against Kolomoisky,
which previously included Article 27 Part 3, Article 191 Part 5
(misappropriation of property), Article 27 Part 3, Article 28 Part 3, Article
200 Part 2 (illegal actions with banking documents), and Article 27 Part 3,
Article 209 Part 3 (money laundering) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
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