The former Dnipropetrovsk governor has been accused of stealing the assets of PrivatBank, which he owned, Head Topics reported.
Last week, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) stated it was investigating Kolomoisky on suspicion of fraud and laundering more than $14 million between 2013 and 2020.
Although he has not yet been charged, the Ukrainian legal system allows for the detention of a suspect during the investigation.
Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the influence of Ukrainian oligarchs has been greatly reduced as officials have passed laws to reduce their political and economic clout. In Russian-controlled territories, their assets were expropriated or completely destroyed in the course of hostilities.
The country’s largest retail bank withdrew assets, leaving some 20 million ordinary citizens at risk of losing their savings. The government seized the bank and nationalised it, then took legal action to recover the allegedly stolen money.
Boris Filatov, the mayor of Dnipro, a former business partner and political ally of Kolomoisky, expressed the situation of the oligarch as follows:
I consider this the end of his era.
The first fraud and money laundering case against Kolomoisky was announced last week. The SBU posted photos on its Telegram channel showing him surrounded by agents at his home signing documents.
Later that day, Kolomoisky appeared before a Kyiv court to face charges and was jailed for two months. Ukrainian media showed him being taken to the pre-trial detention centre in a blue sports jacket and dark trousers.
If Kolomoisky is found guilty, he will face up to 12 years in prison, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) said.
