National Bank Governor Andrii Pyshnyi has commented on NABU searches carried out by detectives at the National Bank and at the home of one of its employees.
As Pyshnyi wrote on his Facebook page, the searches are not connected to the NBU, nor to any decisions he has taken as the bank’s head.
“According to the court ruling, the criminal proceedings within which the investigative actions were carried out do not concern either the activities of the National Bank of Ukraine or my official activities as its Governor. Investigators were looking for evidence in a case linked to other circumstances and individuals. As a result of the searches, nothing was found that could indicate that I, or any NBU officials, committed any offences,” Pyshnyi said.
He stressed that he respects the work of the anti-corruption bodies and is “ready for full co-operation with the investigation within the law”.
Pyshnyi underlined that “the independence and institutional capacity of the National Bank are fundamental. Especially during the war, when the stability of the financial system is of critical importance for the state”.
The official added that he continues to carry out his duties as NBU Governor.
- On the morning of 21 October, NABU officially confirmed that investigative actions were being carried out at the National Bank and at the home of one of its employees.
- It later emerged that Pyshnyi had not submitted a resignation letter amid the searches.
- As is known, the NBU previously initiated an inspection of Mykola Hladyshenko, head of the supervisory board of Sense Bank, who became embroiled in a scandal over bail for former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.
- NABU reported that the head of the financial institution’s management board, Oleksii Stupak, as well as Hladyshenko, in collusion with former MP Maksym Mykytas, Deputy Head of the Office of the President Iryna Mudra, and other members of a criminal group, ensured the posting of bail of UAH 150 million obtained illegally for Halushchenko.
- Part of the funds was channelled through Sense Bank by disabling automatic financial monitoring and not carrying it out manually.
- After NABU published information about the case, Pyshnyi said that the Committee on Supervision and Regulation of Banks’ Activities had found Hladyshenko to be non-compliant with the statutory independence requirements.
- The NBU also initiated a compliance review of Hladyshenko and opened administrative proceedings.
- According to Pyshnyi, at that time the published materials were not sufficient grounds to suspend Hladyshenko, so the National Bank twice approached NABU and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office for confirmation or refutation of the circumstances relevant to assessing the independence of the supervisory board chair. However, law enforcement did not disclose the materials due to pre-trial investigation restrictions, so the NBU continued its own review. At that time, Hladyshenko recused himself from his powers.
- In September, the NBU found Sense Bank management board chair Stupak to be not meeting the qualification requirements.