SBI confirms that it has opened a case on possible abuses at the National Bank
Kyiv • UNN
The SBI confirmed that it is investigating a case of possible abuse of office by the Director of the Legal Department of the National Bank of Ukraine.
The State Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that it is investigating criminal proceedings regarding possible abuses by Oleksandr Zyma, director of the legal department of the National Bank of Ukraine. This is stated in the response of the Territorial Department of the State Bureau of Investigation located in Kyiv to the request of UNN.
In accordance with the decision of the investigating judge of the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv I.V. Litvinov dated 28.11.2023 in case No. 757/51901/23-k, a pre-trial investigation was initiated in criminal proceedings registered in the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations on 28.12.2023
The SBI added that the case is currently under investigation.
Recall
UNN learned from its own sources that the State Bureau of Investigation opened a criminal investigation into the possible abuse of power or office, which led to serious consequences, by the director of the legal department, Oleksandr Zyma. The criminal case concerns a letter from the National Bank to the DGF signed by Zyma, who is also the chairman of the administrative board of the Deposit Guarantee Fund. In the letter, he recommended that the Fund drop four lawsuits that Concord Bank had filed against the NBU before the decision to liquidate the bank and introduce a temporary administration was made. The DGF implemented Zyma's recommendation.
Last year, for the first time in Ukraine, not only bankrupt banks but also profitable institutions were subject to liquidation and license revocation, including Concord Bank. The process of depriving a banking institution of its license takes place without a court. Of course, the owners and shareholders of banks may appeal the decision of the regulator, the NBU, after it has made a decision to liquidate the bank, but in general, the process of withdrawing a banking institution from the market, once it has been launched, is irreversible.
In addition, the issue of liquidation of a profitable bank has not been regulated in Ukraine. According to Olena Sosedka, co-owner of Concord Bank, at the time the regulator announced the decision to liquidate the bank, the financial institution had enough highly liquid assets to make all the necessary payments in 2-3 weeks. But the process of bank liquidation is strictly regulated by law and can generally take up to three years.
