Top NBU officials detained: they are suspected of stealing 1,2 billion hryvnia
Eight former and current officials of the National Bank of Ukraine, PJSC VAB Bank and employees of the private sector were informed of suspicion of misappropriation of funds from the National Bank's stabilization loan in the amount of UAH 1,2 billion, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
This was reported by the press service of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine.
“By agreement with the SAPO prosecutors, NABU detectives reported suspicions to 8 former and current officials of the National Bank of Ukraine, PJSC VAB Bank and private sector employees of misappropriation of funds from the National Bank’s stabilization loan in the amount of 1,2 billion hryvnia,” the report says.
It is noted that among the suspects are the former first deputy head of the NBU, the former director of the General Department of Banking Supervision; former acting the head of the department of the National Bank of Ukraine for Kyiv and the Kiev region, as well as former officials of PJSC VAB Bank - the head of the supervisory board, the deputy head of the board of the bank and three officials of private companies associated with the beneficial owners of PJSC VAB Bank.
“The indicated persons are charged with committing a crime under Part 5 of Art. 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The sanction of the article provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of up to 12 years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to three years and with confiscation of property,” the report notes.
Now the process of submitting petitions to the Anti-Corruption Court for the suspect to choose a preventive measure in the form of detention with the alternative of posting bail from 2,5 million hryvnia to 30 million hryvnia is underway, the SAPS added.
On Monday, NABU and SAPO detained 7 people on suspicion of embezzlement of 1,2 billion UAH of a stabilization loan provided by the National Bank of Ukraine in 2014 to PJSC VAB Bank.
At the moment, the High Anti-Corruption Court has begun considering a petition to select a preventive measure in the form of detention for a member of the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine, Nikolai Kalensky, who is suspected of embezzling funds from a stabilization loan from the National Bank in the amount of UAH 1,2 billion. SAPO insists on precautionary measures for suspects in the case in the form of detention with the alternative of posting bail from 2,5 million hryvnia to 30 million hryvnia.
And the head of the NBU, Yakov Smoliy, interrupted his official business trip abroad and is returning to Ukraine in connection with the detention by the NABU of former and current NBU officials as part of the case of the misappropriation of a 1,2 billion hryvnia loan provided by PJSC VAB Bank.
“The press service of the National Bank reports that none of the members of the Board and directors of departments of the National Bank were detained during the investigative actions carried out by anti-corruption authorities regarding the circumstances of the issuance of a stabilization loan in 2014 to PJSC VAB Bank. At the same time, the head of the National Bank, Yakov Smoliy, interrupted his official business trip abroad and is returning to Ukraine,” the NBU press service reports on Facebook.
The National Bank also added that they were outraged by the presentation of suspicion to the former first deputy head of the NBU during the time of Valeria Gontareva, Alexander Pisaruk. They consider Pisaruk “a professional banker with an impeccable reputation.”
“As appreciated both at the IMF, where he worked for the last three years, and in the international and domestic banking community, where our colleague worked for 16 years before his appointment to the NBU and for the last month,” the message says.
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