Outgoing NBU head told about suspicion of crime in period when he ran Ukrgazbank

MOSCOW. Oct 6 (Interfax) - Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies have exposed illegal activities by officials of the state-run Ukrgazbank, the Ukrainian media have reported, citing information from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office.

Five main people implicated in this crime, including Kirill Shevchenko, incumbent head of the National Bank of Ukraine, have been told about suspicion.

"The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine have exposed illegal activities by officials from the state-run Ukrgazbank, which resulted in losses in an amount of more than 206 million hryvni," the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office said on social networks on Thursday.

According to the prosecutors' information, it has been determined that the administration of the bank, having information on banking services contracts signed with large clients, used it to steal money.

"For that purpose, the bank's officials ensured the signing of fictitious contracts with individuals and entities that drew large clients to it, allegedly being the bank's 'agents.' The bank illegally paid 'remuneration' to these persons for such 'agency services' on a monthly basis," the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office said.

Investigators found that this scheme was used to unfoundedly pay money from the state bank in an amount of more than 206 million hryvni to 52 fictitious agents in 2014-2020.

At the same time, the prosecutors said the facts stated in the report on suspicion do not concern the period when the incumbent head of the National Bank was in office and the exercise by him of the powers of head of the Central Bank of Ukraine.

"The pre-trial investigation, during which the actions by all those involved in the commission of this crime will receive a proper legal assessment, continues," the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office said.

According to earlier reports, Kirill Shevchenko, incumbent head of the National Bank of Ukraine, resigned for health reasons on October 4. The president issued a recommendation to the Rada, and the parliament's financial committee approved the resignation on October 6.

The parliament appointed Shevchenko as head of the National Bank of Ukraine for a seven-year period on July 16, 2020. Before that, he had headed the state-run Ukrgazbank since 2015.