NBU declares Platinum Bank insolvent

"As of January 1, 2017, the bank did not reach the positive value of capital," the regulator said. As the result of banks stress testing in the first half of 2016, in June 2016 the necessary amount of additional capitalization was approved for all banks in the second twenty in order for them to reach the positive value of regulatory capital by January 1, 2017, the NBU said. According to the NBU, Platinum Bank submitted to the National Bank its restructuring plan, which included the implementation of a number of activities with the aim of additional capitalization of the bank. The National Bank said that 97% (197,000 people) of all the depositors of the Platinum Bank will get back their deposits in full, because their volume doesn't exceed UAH 200,000 – the maximum amount of individual deposits guaranteed by the Individual Deposit Guarantee Fund. All in all, the Fund will ensure payments of guaranteed amount of deposits to the tune of UAH 4.8 billion. Platinum Bank was established in 2005. According to the NBU, as of October 1, 2016, the bank ranked 22nd in terms of its assets (UAH 7.277 billion) among 100 operating banks. The regulator pointed out that as of January 10, 2017, the PJSC Platinum Bank is controlled by Ukrainian businessman Borys Kaufman and Israeli businessman Gregory Gurtovoy. The National Bank explained that it recognized Gurtovoy and Kaufman as owners of a significant share of the bank based on the analysis of the bank's operations, irrespective of the actual shares formally owned by these businessmen. Kaufman himself confirmed his significant influence on the management of the bank in a written statement submitted to the NBU. The NBU declared the bank's structure as non-transparent in June 2016 and in August 2016 Kaufman submitted to the National Bank a package of documents to coordinate an acquisition of a 75% stake in the bank by him through controlled companies. "As of today, the National Bank has not agreed with Kaufman the acquisition of the bank's shares, taking into account the absence of certain documents, in particular the lack of clearance from the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine. According to the National Bank, the Antimonopoly Committee in December 2016 returned without consideration a package of documents on the acquisition of a control package in the PJSC Platinum Bank by Kaufman," the central bank said in a press release. As reported, on December 29, Platinum Bank announced it was additionally capitalized for UAH 120 million as part of the previously announced capitalization program. As of October 11, 2016, Gregory Gurtovoy, Dmytro Zinkov, David Halpert, Boris Goldstein, Paul Gillham, Madjid Dusan Pajic, Marko Micanovic, Milica Kostic, Chrysostomos Sofokleous, Marinos L.Karydas, as well as Paul Mousel from Luxembourg are the ultimate owners of PT Platinum Public. The latter, in turn, is the sole direct shareholder of Platinum Bank. Each of these persons indirectly through offshore companies holds from 7.91% to 9.9% of the bank's shares.