Criminal case against VAB Bank, owner Bakhmatiuk closed

The case was closed as no element of offence was found. "The pretrial investigation has not established facts of embezzlement. It was proved that managers carried out actions aimed at implementing liabilities of the bank to return deposits," the press service said, citing the conclusions of the investigator. The press service said that the National Police investigator Vitaliy Sychenko sent a letter with a copy of the conclusions to the former head of VAB Bank. According to the document, the NBU provided refinancing loans to VAB Bank in line with Ukrainian law that was in effect in that period. The cost of collateral used for the loans was twice more than the refinancing loans. The funds were sent according to the intended purpose: to pay deposits and support financial stability of the bank. Ukrlandfarming said that facts of offense, embezzlement, collusion with NBU officials and waiving the debts of affiliated persons in the bank were not revealed in 2014 in the period until temporary administration was introduced. Bakhmatiuk said that regular ungrounded accusations by NBU Governor Valeriya Gontareva against him with uncensorious attitude towards owners of other insolvent banks shows that she does not have desire to solve the problem of abuse of office to cause damage to Ukrlandfarming and Avangard agroholdings, their shareholders and creditors. The businessman said that the debt of UAH 38 billion named by the NBU does not reflect the actual situation, as the real debt of VAB bank and bank Financial Initiative to the Deposit Guarantee Fund and NBU totals UAH 18 billion. "The NBU head is hung up on me. Her goal is to bring the largest agroholding in Eurasia created by me to default. I assess these statements and legal actions of the NBU towards shareholders of managers of VAB Bank as an attempt of illegal seizure," he said. Bakhmatiuk said that the new accusations could be linked to desire to create difficulties in preparations for the sowing campaign for Ukrlandfarming. The businessman again said that he is ready to find a compromise with the NBU in the collateral issue and proposes an amicable agreement to pay the entire debt in installments during seven years and a possibility of increasing the collateral assets for the central bank.