Court Increases Bail for Oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky Amid New Charges
In a recent development, Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district court has decided to raise the bail amount for oligarch Kolomoisky Bail. The new bail has been increased from Hr 509 million ($14 million) to a staggering Hr 3.8 billion ($105 million). Following the filing of new charges against Ihor Kolomoisky in connection with the PrivatBank case, Suspilne reported this decision.
Oligarch Kolomoisky Bail: Allegations of embezzlement
According to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), Ihor Kolomoisky stands accused of embezzling approximately $157 million from PrivatBank during the years 2013–2014. During this period, he was a co-owner of the bank. These allegations are the latest in a series of legal actions taken against the prominent oligarch since the beginning of September.
Prosecutor’s Request for Bail Amount
In the courtroom, a prosecutor from the Bureau of Economic Security requested the court to set the new bail amount at the same value Ihor Kolomoisky is alleged to have embezzled. Suspilne reported that the prosecutor emphasized the fact that Ihor Kolomoisky had lost his Ukrainian citizenship and is now a citizen of Israel. This change in citizenship status raises concerns about his potential to evade justice by hiding abroad.
Citizenship Status Controversy
It’s important to note that there were rumors last year that President Volodymyr Zelensky had revoked Kolomoisky’s Ukrainian citizenship, although the presidential office never officially confirmed this. However, government advisor Serhiy Leshchenko recently published court documents that list Kolomoisky as a citizen of both Israel and Cyprus.
Defense Arguments
In response to the increased bail request, Kolomoisky’s lawyer argued that the requested bail amount was “unreasonable.” The lawyer contended that the prosecutor had not presented any evidence demonstrating Kolomoisky’s ability to pay such a substantial sum. Additionally, the defense labeled the risks associated with Kolomoisky as “unfounded,” pointing out that he is already in custody.
Previous Legal Actions
This latest development follows Kolomoisky’s arrest on September 2, when he was detained until October 31, with an initial bail set at $14 million. On the same day, the SBU conducted searches at the oligarch’s properties and charged him with fraud and money laundering related to his oil and gas holdings. Subsequently, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) added more criminal charges on September 7, accusing Kolomoisky of embezzling $250 million from PrivatBank in 2015.
