Ukrainian anti-corruption court orders Kolomoisky to attend hearing in person
Ukraine’s Higher Anti-Corruption Court ordered State Bureau of Investigation officers to bring former PrivatBank owner Ihor Kolomoisky to court for a hearing scheduled for November 9 at 11:00. The bureau had twice refused to escort him, citing safety concerns, and sought permission for a closed hearing or video participation.
Key points
- The hearing is scheduled for November 9 at 11:00.
- State Bureau of Investigation officers were ordered to bring Kolomoisky to court in person.
- The SIZO twice refused to escort Kolomoisky, citing threats to his and officers’ safety.
- The SIZO requested a closed hearing or video participation for Kolomoisky.
- Prosecutors and defense counsel opposed the SIZO request.
- Kolomoisky and five former PrivatBank employees face charges involving more than 9.2 billion hryvnias.
- Ukraine is seeking to recover funds withdrawn from the nationalized PrivatBank.
Why it matters
The order tests whether investigators can secure Kolomoisky’s personal participation in a major corruption case despite safety concerns. The proceedings concern alleged theft of more than 9.2 billion hryvnias from PrivatBank and the use of controlled banking infrastructure to transfer funds abroad. Ukraine is also pursuing recovery of money withdrawn from the nationalized bank.
What happened
The Higher Anti-Corruption Court ordered officers of the State Bureau of Investigation to bring former PrivatBank beneficial owner Ihor Kolomoisky to court for a November 9 hearing. The bureau had twice refused to escort him, citing risks to his and its personnel’s safety, and asked the court to hold a closed session or allow him to participate by video conference. Prosecutors and defense counsel opposed that request, arguing that the reasons for refusing to transport him were insufficiently specific and unjustified.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting focuses on the procedural dispute over transporting Kolomoisky to court, the security concerns cited by investigators and the court’s order requiring his attendance. It also places the case within the domestic legal and financial context of the alleged withdrawal of more than 9.2 billion hryvnias from PrivatBank and efforts to recover those funds.
Background
Kolomoisky, a former shareholder and beneficial owner of PrivatBank, has been under guard in Ukraine since 2023. Authorities announced suspicion against him in September 2023, and prosecutors later referred an indictment to the Higher Anti-Corruption Court. Investigators allege that, in January–March 2015, he organized a scheme to divert PrivatBank funds to finance a controlled offshore company and increase his stake in the bank’s statutory capital. He is also accused of laundering more than half a billion hryvnias between 2013 and 2020 by transferring funds abroad through controlled banking institutions. PrivatBank was nationalized in Ukraine in 2016.