Investigators will ask the court to remove the National Bank's chief lawyer from office after he is served with a notice of suspicion

Investigators will apply to the court with a petition to remove Oleksandr Zyma, Director of the Legal Department of the National Bank of Ukraine, from office after he is served with a notice of suspicion. This was reported by the Pechersk Police Department of Kyiv in response to a request by UNN.

Context

At the end of December 2023, the State Bureau of Investigation opened a criminal proceeding on the fact of possible abuse of office by the NBU's chief lawyer. The case concerns a letter from the National Bank to the Deposit Guarantee Fund signed by Zyma, in which he recommended that the Fund withdraw the lawsuits filed by Concord Bank against the NBU.  The document referred to four lawsuits filed by the bank against the NBU, in which Concorde demanded the cancellation of fines totaling almost UAH 63.5 million. They were filed even before the National Bank decided to liquidate Concorde and put it under temporary administration. It is worth noting that Zyma, in addition to the National Bank's legal department, also heads the Administrative Council of the Deposit Guarantee Fund.

According to Concorde co-owner Olena Sosiedka, Zima's instructions deprived the bank's shareholders of their constitutional right to a fair trial. 

After more than 9 months, SBI investigators transferred the case of the National Bank's chief lawyer to the Police Department in Kyiv's Pechersk district. According to Concorde co-owner Yulia Sosedka, law enforcement officers are trying to delay the investigation. At the same time, SBI investigators have not executed the court decision to recognize Yulia Sosedka as a victim in the criminal proceedings.

"The decision to apply to the court with a petition for suspension from duty is made only in relation to a suspect. Due to the fact that there is currently no suspect status in the criminal proceedings, it is impossible to file this petition with the court," the law enforcement response reads.

In addition, the police reported that they plan to determine the circle of victims, as well as interrogate the NBU's chief lawyer Oleksandr Zyma.

Add

Earlier, security expert Serhiy Shabovta said in a commentary to UNN that Zyma has a patronand therefore feels impunity. According to him, the National Bank's chief lawyer, Oleksandr Zyma, is a person close to NBU Governor Andriy Pyshnyi. That is why he is confident that he will not be prosecuted under the current legislation for his violations.