In early August, the BEB reported suspicions to Igor Kolomoisky of misappropriation of more than 5.3 billion hryvnia. However, already on August 21, in the publications of the BEB, without mentioning the name of the oligarch, a significantly smaller amount appears - 4 billion.
As noted in a statement from the lawyers, available to the editors, the situation changed dramatically after the BEB again revised its suspicion on August 16.
“This is not the first time that the BEB has changed the content of its suspicions against Igor Kolomoisky - beyond recognition,” points out lawyer Alexander Lysak. He adds that this behavior of law enforcement officers indicates their lack of confidence in their own evidence and the fact that investigators do not have a clear idea of what exactly his client is accused of.
The lawyer also emphasizes that between August 2023 and August 2024, the BEB already changed the wording of the suspicions several times, each time naming different amounts of damages, as stated in the publication’s material.
First, it was about taking over 1 billion hryvnia from the Neftekhimik Prykarpattia plant, then about 5.8 billion from PrivatBank, subsequently about 5.3 billion from Privatbank and Ukrnafta, and at the last stage about 4 billion hryvnia. notes the publication.
Kolomoisky’s defenders emphasize that the investigation did not provide any evidence confirming the seizure of these funds. Lysak draws attention to the fact that the investigation does not have financial evidence confirming the fact of the transfer of funds from PrivatBank or Ukrnafta to Kolomoisky’s account. “The investigation does not have a single piece of evidence confirming that at least one hryvnia spent went to the account of Ihor Kolomoisky,” Lysak noted.
The lawyer also draws attention to the fact that the financial statements of PrivatBank for the period from 2013 to 2023, published in early May 2024, absolutely do not reflect the damage that could be associated with the illegal actions of which Kolomoisky is suspected. “This once again confirms that all the accusations are unfounded, and the investigation has no objective evidence,” the lawyer concludes.
According to the defense, the change in the BEB’s rhetoric and the reduction in the amount of damage indicate that investigators are trying to “cobble together” at least something that could be presented to the public and political leadership as the result of a high-profile investigation that has been going on for more than a year. “We hope for a fair hearing of the case in the European Court of Human Rights, since in Ukraine the prosecution refuses to admit that they were wrong,” Lysak sums up.
