UKRAINE: Ihor Kolomoisky, one of Ukraine’s most influential oligarchs, is to be detained for two months on suspicion of fraud and money laundering.
Kolomoisky is accused of transferring $14 million (£11.1 million) abroad through banks under his control over a period of seven years.
His attorneys say he will not post bail and intends to appeal the court’s decision.
This development is part of Ukraine’s ongoing anti-corruption efforts, which have targeted several prominent individuals.
Local television footage captured Kolomoisky being taken into custody by a district court in Kyiv, dressed in a blue FC Dnipro tracksuit jacket, on Saturday. His defence team said that he is currently being held at Ukraine’s security service (SBU) headquarters in the city.
“It was established that during 2013–2020, Ihor Kolomoisky legalised more than half a billion hryvnias ($14 million) by withdrawing them abroad and using the infrastructure of banks under [his] control,” the agency stated in a statement.
President Volodymyr Zelensky made reference to the issue during his regular Saturday evening video message, stating that “business as usual for those who plundered Ukraine and put themselves above the law” would not be returning.
“Each of us feels that this will be a Ukraine with different rules,” he stated.
Zelensky emphasises the battle against corruption as one of his primary focuses when he assumes office in 2019.
Since the Russian invasion of February 2022, his administration has made a point of highlighting Ukraine’s efforts to combat corruption, which is considered to be one of the major requirements for the nation to become a member of the European Union and other Western organisations.
The court order on Saturday is not the first action taken against Kolomoisky.
The tycoon’s house in the southeast city of Dnipro was seized in February of this year as a part of an unrelated investigation into tax evasion and embezzlement at the two biggest oil companies in the nation, which are partly owned by him.
In 2021, the United States imposed sanctions on him, alleging “significant corruption” during his tenure as the governor of the broader Dnipropetrovsk region. He vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Kolomoisky, a wealthy businessman with interests in Ukrainian media, oil, and banking, notably contributed to Zelensky’s rise to prominence through his TV channel, which aired the comedy series “Servant of the People,” before he supported the former actor’s presidential candidature.
During the election campaign, accusations were raised, including by former president Petro Poroshenko, suggesting that the president was influenced by Kolomoisky.
Nevertheless, the Ukrainian leader has consistently refuted any claims of Kolomoisky exerting influence over the government.
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