Detectives of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine served a notice of suspicion against a citizen of Russia and Israel, a well-known Russian businessman and former owner of a Ukrainian bank. He is suspected of money laundering, specifically the legalisation of assets obtained through criminal means, namely USD 1.2 million and EUR 1.93 million (equivalent to about UAH 100 million). These actions were committed by an organized group and intentional tax evasion in the amount of UAH 18 million by officials of the joint-stock company - the bank, also committed by an organised group.

In early June, the ESBU arrested 738 real estate properties (apartments, shopping centers, land plots, residential buildings) owned by the bank.

The Russian businessman was the owner of an indirect stake in the Ukrainian bank. He owed more than 30% of its statutory capital through a Cyprus offshore company.

The Ukrainian bank, its parent bank in Russia, and the offshore company are interconnected with common beneficial owners, including the mentioned Russian businessman.

Jointly with his Russian partners, prior to and during the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, they conducted fictitious transactions and financial operations to legalise (launder) the assets of the mentioned companies, totaling over UAH 1 billion, and their subsequent withdrawal from the banking system in Ukraine.

The aim of these actions was to avoid potential negative consequences such as sanctions and/or the application of measures for the forced removal of property rights, as stipulated by the Law of Ukraine "On the Basic Principles of Forced Removal of Property Rights of the Russian Federation and its Residents."

At the end of July 2023, the bank was nationalised. The oligarch is currently under sanctions in the EU, USA, and Ukraine.

As previously reported, the ESBU arrested assets of Cypriot companies totaling over UAH 469 million, held in accounts at banking institutions, and securities totaling over USH 12.4 billion, likely acquired through fictitious transactions.

The Investigative actions are ongoing. A list of all the businessman's property, both in Ukraine and in foreign jurisdictions, is being compiled.

The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings on the grounds of offences of tax evasion and money laundering is being conducted by detectives of the Main Detective Unit of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine with operational support from the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police, under the procedural supervision of prosecutors of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.