08 October 2021, Friday, 14:04 136

Schemes Publishes Investigation Into Ukreximbank

Редактор: Daria Zubkova

Journalists of the Schemes have published an investigation into the Kyiv-based Ukrainian Export-Import Bank (Ukreximbank), within premises of which a group of journalists has recently been attacked.

Radio Liberty has said this in a statement, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

Besides, the journalists mentioned the question that became the reason for representatives of the bank to try to withdraw their camera to erase the footage with an interview dedicated to allocation of UAH-60-million loan to one of the businessmen.

So, the media investigators managed to find out that the bank had allocated USD 60 million in a loan to the entities belonging to a businessman, whose company is operating in the occupied territory of Donbas where a self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic’s grouping is acting paying taxes to the occupation authorities.

Moreover, the bank accepted unreliable collateral for the allocated funds – the SkyMall shopping and leisure center.

The danger of such a move lies in the fact that such bad loans become a financial burden of the state budget.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Schemes TV show journalists were attacked during their interview with Ukreximbank board chairperson Yevhen Metsger.

Chairperson of the board of Ukreximbank Yevhen Metsger, Director of the Information Policy Department Volodymyr Pikalov and Director of the Banking Security Department Ihor Telbizov have been suspended from their duties without pay.

Oliana Hordienko, chairperson of the bank's supervisory board, added that in addition, the Director of the Information Policy Department Volodymyr Pikalov and the Director of the Banking Security Department Ihor Telbizov were suspended without pay.

She added that the prosecutor's office will conduct investigative actions at the bank's premises tomorrow.

The prosecutor's office and the police served Yevhen Metsger, who was suspended from the post of the board chairperson of Ukreximbank, and Pikalov with suspicion of obstructing the activities of the Schemes program journalists.

The role of Telbizov is being studied by law enforcement officers.

The supervisory board of the State Export-Import Bank has appointed Serhii Yermakov as acting chairperson of the board.