The High Anticorruption Court arrested the former head of the National Bank of Ukraine, Kyrylo Shevchenko, in absentia.
He said this on Facebook, complaining that he was not allowed to take part in a court session by video link.
"Another court session regarding choosing the preventive measure for me has ended. To the last minute I hoped that the court would give me the opportunity to participate in the meeting using the video format. However, my request, despite the existing technical possibility and an obvious necessity of such measures, was once again rejected. Nobody listened to the defense side, and as the evidence suggests - they were not planning on doing so from the very start. The final ruling - an indefinite detention without bail - is an exceptional and the most severe measure of all possible measures," he said in English. "What is the point of all this? I have an answer: political persecution."
He added that after receiving the full text of today's decision, he will appeal.
The Specialized Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office noted that, according to the investigation, in 2014-2019, the management of Ukrhazbank ensured the conclusion of 52 fictitious contracts with "agents" who allegedly attracted large customers to the bank, and unreasonably transferred more than UAH 206 million for their "services".
Currently, five key persons have been notified of suspicion in this criminal proceeding, including the former head of the NBU, who at the time of the crime the board chairman of Ukrhazbank, former and current high-ranking managers of banking institutions.
"It should be noted that the facts set out in the notice of suspicion do not relate to the period of [Shevchenko's] tenure as head of the National Bank, but to the exercising of his powers as board chairman of the joint-stock company Ukrhazbank," the SAPO said on Telegram.