Ukraine: Billionaire who backed Zelensky arrested over money-laundering and fraud | World News

One of the richest men in Ukraine – once a supporter of president Volodymyr Zelensky – has been arrested over money-laundering and fraud allegations.

Ihor Kolomoisky, whose net worth was listed as $1.36 billion in 2015, will be held in custody for two months, a court in Kyiv ordered late on Saturday.

The country’s security services allege he transferred $13.5 million abroad before the war started, using banks he controlled.

‘It was established that between 2013 and 2020, Kolomoisky legalised more than half a billion Ukrainian hryvnia [around $13.5 million] by moving it abroad using the infrastructure of controlled banking institutions,’ SBU’s press service said.

Kolomoisky’s arrest demonstrates the government’s progress in cracking down on corruption during the war.

His lawyers confirmed he would appeal the ruling, questioning its legality, but that he would not post bail of $14 million, Radio Liberty reported.

After the hearing, the Ukrainian-born Israeli-Cypriot national was paraded on TV being led away in a blue tracksuit jacket.

In his regular evening video address on Saturday, Zelensky appeared to allude to the controversial case.

He said there would be no return to ‘business as usual for those who plundered Ukraine and put themselves above the law;.

‘Each of us feels that this will be a Ukraine with different rules,’ the president said.

Zelensky faced accusations of acting as Kolomoisky’s puppet during his election campaign, including from rival and former president Petro Poroshenko.

Before winning the presidency, he rose to prominence as a comedian and played the role of president on a show aired on a Kolomoisky-owned TV channel.

But he has repeatedly denied that the businessman has had any influence over the government.

Before Russia’s invasion, the billionaire controlled Ukrtatnafta, the largest refining company in Ukraine, until it was seized by the government in November, citing it a critical national resource during martial law.

Kolomoisky is also the co-founder of PrivatBank, the largest financial institution, which was taken into state ownership in 2016 after regulators discovered $5 billion in assets that were missing.

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