How Firtash, Shevchenko and Klitschko Have Been Raiding the Country for Billions of Hryvnias through Bank "Alliance" Right under the NBU’s Nose for Years

How Firtash, Shevchenko and Klitschko Have Been Raiding the Country for Billions of Hryvnias through Bank "Alliance" Right under the NBU’s Nose for Years

In Ukraine, despite tighter oversight of financial institutions, there are still banks that for years have engaged in illegal fund extraction, raider attacks on entrepreneurs and other multi-billion schemes. One of them is Bank "Alliance", a financial institution that continues to operate despite numerous court cases, fines from the NBU, accusations of large criminal schemes and multi-billion frauds.

The scale of the scams taking place at this institution, involving its management and owner, shocks even Europe. Below is a translation of an investigation published by the British outlet London24.

Bank "Alliance" was founded in 1992 in Donetsk. For decades of its operation it was practically never visible on the market and was always somewhere on the third tier of financial institutions. Despite this, its clients include very significant enterprises — regional gas companies, agricultural and chemical enterprises. By a "strange" coincidence, all these companies served by Bank "Alliance", such as "Tviy Gazzbut", "ZTMC", "Nika-Agrotrade", "Ye Enerhiya", "Him Trade" and others, are in the orbit of influence of pro-Russian oligarch Dmytro Firtash. In other words, he needed a bank to carry out schemes, and "Alliance" has performed those tasks brilliantly for years.

The media have repeatedly reported that despite the fact that this financial institution was sold to Oleksandr Sosis in 2015, it remains one of Firtash’s main conversion centers. Moreover, it actively helps the oligarch in various fraudulent schemes. One of these is lending to agricultural producers.

How the scheme with agricultural producers works

One of the main proofs of close ties between the oligarch and the bank are programs for the agricultural business. The main goal of this fraud is to seize farmers’ funds while simultaneously channeling them to companies affiliated with the bank.

In 2021 Bank "Alliance" launched a wide advertising campaign for Ukrainian farmers. Farmers were offered loans to buy fertilizers from certain supplier companies. According to the media, those suppliers belonged to Ostchem Holding AG — a holding company that unites a group of chemical and mineral fertilizer manufacturers. That holding, in turn, is part of the financial-industrial group Group DF, owned by pro-Russian oligarch Firtash.

It later emerged that the "fertilizers on credit" scheme was fraudulent from start to finish. The company designated as the main fertilizer supplier was "Evoterra Trade." It was created in the summer of 2021, one month before Bank "Alliance"’s advertising campaign began. Its authorized capital was only 10 thousand hryvnias.

"Evoterra Trade" did not fulfill any contracts for fertilizer deliveries to farmers. More precisely, it began some deliveries, but they were negligible and far from the volumes stated in the contracts.

Later, in spring 2022, when farmers, despite the challenges of wartime, still began sowing, "Evoterra Trade" refused to supply the ammonia stipulated in the contracts. Farmers were presented with an ultimatum: either buy fertilizers at inflated prices or receive no deliveries at all.

As a result, farmers were left without fertilizers but saddled with huge debts to Bank "Alliance" and with agricultural machinery held as collateral.

Interestingly, Ostchem Holding AG has sharply raised fertilizer prices for farmers before. But while pre-war this looked like a violation of antimonopoly law, in the context of sowing under enemy shelling it resembles outright looting.

"To convince the agricultural company of the reliability of the bank’s proposed counterparty, the bank’s management issued a loan to that same company, 'Evoterra Trade', which had been created barely a month before the contract and was connected with the founders of Bank 'Alliance', in the amount of 10 million dollars. That loan remained unpaid, but neither the bank, nor the NBU, nor law enforcement have taken any action. Thus, the fraudulent scheme not only enabled the seizure of funds from Ukrainian agricultural enterprises but also allowed money to be extracted from the bank via unsecured loans to a company affiliated with the bank," the journalistic investigation states.

By the way, it is not excluded that the raider attack on an agricultural company was also conducted in the interests of another fugitive billionaire, owner of the huge agroholding UkrLandFarming, Oleh Bakhmatiuk. The media have repeatedly written about his ties with Firtash.

How Bank "Alliance" managed to convince farmers to enter into such a deal

First, the loan offer in exchange for fertilizers came directly from the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, shareholder of JSC Bank "Alliance", Pavlo Shcherban.

Second, to make the deal seem plausible, "Evoterra Trade" received from Bank "Alliance" a loan of 10 million dollars. This was supposed to convince farmers that the fertilizer supplier was a reputable company able to fully meet its obligations.

Interestingly: a loan of 10 million dollars was indeed issued to "Evoterra Trade." Bank "Alliance" was not bothered by the fact that at the time the company had existed for only a month, nor by the size of its authorized capital, nor by the absence of any production capacity. In other words, "Evoterra Trade" had all the signs of a shell company. Yet the financial institution completely ignored the NBU’s requirements to verify enterprises before issuing loans. Consequently, the shell company received a huge sum of 10 million dollars.

A criminal proceeding has been opened under case no. 12022111380000371, initiated on 28.07.2022 by the investigative department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kyiv region on signs of a criminal offense provided for in part 3 of article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Below are several facts from this criminal case.

Questioned as a representative of the injured party, …… testified that on 25 March 2022 she was present at a meeting … with Barteckyi A. Yu. in the city of Rivne, where he reported that LLC "Evoterra Trade" did not have the necessary volume of ammonia and the funds to repay for undelivered goods. He promised to resolve the issue of ammonia supply and provide personal and other co-founders’ guarantees, saying he needed to resolve matters related to methods of settlements with LLC "………" with Shcherban P. P., who is the de facto co-owner of all companies where Barteckyi A. Yu. is a co-founder, and Shcherban P. P. owns 40 percent of the authorized capital of LLC "Evoterra Trade" through Byshko H. G. He promised to return in three days and to propose real ways to resolve the issue.

"In May 2022, she was also present at a meeting with Barteckyi A. Yu. and …., where Barteckyi A. Yu. stated that he did not have the authority to resolve the issue of debt repayment or to transfer property as collateral to fulfill obligations, because Pavlo Shcherban, who is a participant of LLC 'Evoterra Trade', is abroad and does not permit him to make any decision aimed at providing guarantees on behalf of LLC 'Evoterra Trade' or any other legal entities they jointly own regarding securing obligations under the ammonia supply contract."

"The pre-trial investigation into this criminal proceeding is currently ongoing."

Judging by the above facts from the criminal case, it is quite plausible that the 10 million dollars issued to the sham company became one of the resources that allowed the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bank "Alliance", Pavlo Shcherban, to live comfortably outside Ukraine while the country fights Russia. The same applies to the bank’s CEO, Yuliia Frolova. She also left the country in September 2022. Interestingly, all documents at the bank are still signed with her name despite her physical absence from Ukraine for many months. Is there a single bank in Ukraine whose management has been absent from the country for over a year? And why does the NBU turn a blind eye to this?

To be fair, it should be noted that Shcherban did come to Ukraine a few times. However, all his trips were exclusively negotiations with law enforcement and NBU officials. Frolova, on the other hand, has not returned to the country since last September.

Are these borrowers listed as related parties to the bank? The question remains open. However, the absence of Bank "Alliance"’s top management in Ukraine not only makes it easy for them to avoid investigative actions related to the institution’s fraudulent activities. Moreover, on 25 July the Antimonopoly Committee allowed Shcherban, who is, among other things, a minority owner of the bank, to buy more than 25% of the institution’s shares. And this despite the flagrant violations present at the bank. Perhaps the loan issued to 'Evoterra' was the source of funds for the share purchase?

Why did the AMCU and NBU "not notice" this? Could it be because Shcherban has good connections with representatives of law enforcement and at the NBU? Besides, according to his associates, he has a "paranoid" habit of recording all conversations, especially with representatives of law enforcement and the NBU.

"Shcherban has a real 'thing' about this. In addition to recording conversations and phone calls, when possible he also records meetings on video. He has repeatedly boasted that he has kompromat on everyone, including deputy governors of the NBU, law enforcement, and even the Office of the President, including Rostyslav Shurma, who, rumors say, also helps the bank avoid responsibility. And where do you think the information about Mazuryk’s bribe came from? So anyone still cooperating with Shcherban should think thrice. Because if something happens — they may meet the fate of a prosecutor," a man from the circle of the Chairman of Alliance’s Supervisory Board told reporters.

Recall that in early summer 2020 a city prosecutor Mazuryk was detained in the act — at the moment of receiving 100 thousand dollars for closing the case against officials and board members of JSC "Bank Alliance" and for further resolving any problems with law enforcement.

Mazuryk’s actions were qualified as fraud, official forgery and false reporting of a criminal offense.

On 27 August 2020, suspicion in this case was also announced to operative officer 1 of sector 3 of department 1 of the Main Directorate KZE of the Security Service of Ukraine, Andrii Parasočka.

Interestingly, six months later — in February 2021 — Mazuryk was reinstated at work.

So it is not excluded that thanks to "useful" connections, law enforcement turns a blind eye to large financial "schemes" that have been operating in the bank for many years.

Conversion center

As early as 2014 the Security Service of Ukraine suspected the bank of conversion activity and financing terrorism in the L/DPR. According to the investigation, by the end of 2014 a large conversion center operated in the institution. Its turnover reached almost 600 million hryvnias. During searches, law enforcement seized seals of institutions and enterprises operating in the L/DPR from the bank, as well as a number of contacts that could be involved in financing terrorism. However, the case did not progress beyond the searches. Therefore, as of today, the investigation’s results remain unknown.

And this is only one of many episodes of financial fraud.

Capital flight from the country through a fake import scheme

According to NBU employees, during the war more than 1 billion in foreign currency (dollars and euros) was taken abroad through "Alliance." Just in June–July this year the bank reportedly moved more than 400 million in foreign currency abroad through companies affiliated with Firtash. It is possible that this capital exfiltration channel was also used by Mr. Kolomoisky, who is currently in pretrial detention.

It is surprising that the regulator still has no questions about how a bank with a market share of less than 0,5% bought more than 10% of NBU interventions.

"The thing is, according to our data, by the end of the year all of Firtash’s companies will be nationalized. So now the bank is converting all funds into foreign currency and moving them abroad," an employee of the bank explained, adding that by the end of the year they plan to export another 1 billion dollars abroad in this way.

"After that, 'Alliance' will meet the fate of Nadra Bank," the interlocutor added.

In addition, according to the media, the Prosecutor General’s Office several years ago conducted a pre-trial investigation in criminal proceeding 42017000000000445 on signs of criminal offenses under part 5 of article 191, part 2 of article 211, part 3 of article 212, part 2 of article 364, part 2 of article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The case materials stated that through Bank "Alliance", during 2017–2018, management of Firtash’s regional gas companies with participation of his nitrogen enterprises illegally withdrew funds, which significantly increased the indebtedness to the state NAK "Naftogaz". Simply put, the state company was robbed of 4 billion hryvnias in favor of Firtash’s companies.

In 2019 the Pechersky District Court granted the PGO’s petition and provided investigators access to Bank "Alliance" clients’ documents. However, the investigation still has not been completed.

Debts to state companies amounting to billions of hryvnias

Bank "Alliance"’s failure to meet its obligations to state companies long ago became common knowledge. It remains a mystery why anyone still dares to cooperate with this institution. Here are just a few examples.

Ministry of Defense

In 2018 Bank "Alliance" acted as guarantor of a fuel supply contract for the Ministry of Defense. The contract amount was 928 million hryvnias. At that time this was equivalent to about 37 million US dollars. When the supplier "Fidea" breached delivery terms, Bank "Alliance" refused its guarantee obligations to the Ministry. As a result, the army was left without fuel and without money. Later the ministry managed in court to recover over 615 thousand hryvnias from the financial institution.

NAK "Naftogaz"

Another notable point: "Alliance" also has outstanding debts from bank guarantees to the amount of 2 billion hryvnias to NAK "Naftogaz." Because of this Naftogaz excluded Bank "Alliance" from the list of reliable institutions.

Lawyers are currently preparing the necessary documents to file corresponding lawsuits. So the next meeting between NAK "Naftogaz Ukraine" and Bank "Alliance" will be in court.

"Regarding fund extraction, the bank has repeatedly been spotted in such operations, including with state companies, when it acted as guarantor for certain operations and contractors then disappeared with the funds," notes economist Yurii Havrylechenko.

Overall Bank "Alliance" has outstanding guarantees to state companies totaling 3,2 billion hryvnias.

"Bank 'Alliance' apparently does not want to fulfill its direct guarantee obligations. By expert estimates, the bank’s financial situation is currently so difficult that it stays afloat exclusively thanks to NBU refinancing. That is why everything is being done to delay court cases," said lawyer Oleksii Buriachenko.

Ukrenergo

One of the country’s largest energy companies, Ukrenergo, has been trying for almost two years to collect a debt from Bank "Alliance" of about 2 billion hryvnias.

In autumn 2021 the company of oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, LLC "United Energy," entered into an agreement with national energy company Ukrenergo to settle electricity imbalances.

In simple terms — it purchased volumes of consumed energy that turned out to be greater than ordered from the supplier.

Bank "Alliance" provided guarantees for this process in case of breach of the contract’s payment terms with the state company. The bank guarantee amounted to over 1 billion hryvnias. At the time this was equivalent to 40 million dollars.

The first letter requesting payment was sent by NEC "Ukrenergo" on 9 March 2022 for repayment of a guarantee debt of 560 million hryvnias. "Alliance" paid only 133 million hryvnias and asked to wait due to the start of the full-scale invasion.

However, to this day the bank has not paid the remaining debt. Moreover, the financial institution together with LLC "United Energy" declared they would not pay because "Ukrenergo" violated the timing of the request, the calculation norms of the NERC under which the contract was concluded are incorrect, and the amounts of debt are different and need recalculation.

As a result, the Kyiv Commercial Court on 15 December last year ruled to recover 1 billion 114 million hryvnias in favor of NEC "Ukrenergo".

However, the bank’s management, led by owner Oleksandr Sosis and Kolomoisky’s company, filed an appeal with the Northern Court of Appeal.

Since the appeal was filed, judges have not started its consideration. They either go on vacation or are on sick leave. At the same time, judges completely ignore legal norms that the case should be heard within 60 days.

Presiding judge Lyudmyla Kropyvna has avoided journalists seeking explanations for the delays. Rumor has it that NABU has opened an investigation into Kropyvna’s activities in her position. And there is something to investigate. At a minimum — with what funds the judge purchased at the end of 2021 a house in elite Koncha-Zaspa of 260 sq. m with a gazebo and pool and 20 sotkas of valuable land. Houses of that size in Koncha-Zaspa cost from 1 million dollars. However, the price of Lyudmyla Kropyvna’s house stated in the sales contract turned out to be almost 8 times lower and is a little more than 5 million hryvnias.

It later became known that the next appellate hearing in the Ukrenergo, Bank "Alliance" and Kolomoisky case was postponed until 7 September this year. At the same time the panel of judges was changed. Now the presiding judge on the case is Hennadii Korobenko. It will be interesting to see if NABU reacts to the change of the panel and the delay in recovering the state’s losses. Perhaps Kolomoisky’s arrest will finally lead to a fair court decision and the state will be reimbursed.

Fraud with government bonds (OVDPs)

At the beginning of October 2019 the NBU reported that Bank "Alliance" appealed a fine of 2,6 million hryvnias imposed by the regulator in August of that year. The reason was "engaging in risky activity in the field of financial monitoring."

In particular, the regulator found that Bank "Alliance" for almost a year — from 03.08.2017 to 26.06.2018 — bought and sold the same government bonds (OVDPs) for a total amount exceeding 2,5 billion hryvnias.

As a result 16 individual customers of the bank received an "artificial" profit of 57,7 million hryvnias. Interestingly — 98% of the profit clients received in cash at the bank’s counter.

"The purpose of these financial operations may be legalization of criminal proceeds, conversion of non-cash funds into cash," the NBU claims. The bank is a subject of a criminal proceeding concerning crimes involving securities.

Money laundering of "dirty" Russian funds

Another high-profile scandal involving Bank "Alliance" is linked to the company "GlobalMani". Recall that the prosecutor’s office and NABU suspect Bank "Alliance" of laundering dirty money, including on Russia-occupied territories of Donbas and Crimea.

Thus, the Holosiivskyi District Court of Kyiv, in case No. 752/19100/20, having considered a petition from the Kyiv prosecutor’s office in a criminal proceeding entered into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations on 7 May 2020 under No. 4202000000 for criminal offenses under part 2 of article 222 (Fraud with financial resources), part 3 of article 209 (Legalization (laundering) of proceeds obtained by criminal means) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, ordered Bank "Alliance" to disclose transactions on the payment system GlobalMoney account (LLC “GlobalMani”, Global24) and to provide investigators and prosecutors access to banking documentation.

At the end of September 2020 the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv froze funds on settlement accounts of LLC "GlobalMani" opened at Bank "Alliance." However, according to media reports, the financial institution opened new accounts for LLC "GlobalMani", namely UA083001190000026501043103002.

Thanks to such "schemes" LLC "GlobalMani" laundered and transferred to Russia 6,5 billion hryvnias of criminal proceeds over 2019−2020 years.

Moreover, according to the media, transactions for purchasing drugs were carried out through "GlobalMani" and Bank "Alliance." Journalists found that the financial institution accepted clients’ funds without identification, violating NBU requirements and facilitating drug traffickers’ criminal activity.

Today, by the way, "Alliance" is preparing to occupy the niche of the removed-from-market banks "Aibox" and "Concord." We are talking about laundering funds obtained by the shadow gambling business with a turnover of at least 15 billion hryvnias per month. For this purpose "Alliance" even suddenly opened a number of branches across the country, although for years the bank had no branches other than the central office.

According to NBU sources, the bank has already received regulator "approval" for this. It was lobbied by Deputy Andrii Pyshnyi, Dmytro Oliinyk. He, according to the media, curates collection of "tribute" from exchange offices. Because of this he has already come under NABU scrutiny. Recently law enforcement documented Oliinyk in a Kyiv nightclub in the company of dubious persons. According to eyewitnesses, the deputy head of the NBU appeared, judging by his behavior, to be under the influence of unknown substances.

Finally, Bank "Alliance" actively serviced the oil companies of Viktor Medvedchuk’s godfather, Medvedchuk/Kozak TV channels, and Firtash’s personal accounts.

Why there is no NBU reaction

All the above facts are far from the full list of "schemes" implemented by Bank "Alliance." In the court decision register this institution appears in 11,5 thousand cases! So why has the NBU still not reacted?

The current head of the NBU, Andrii Pyshnyi, as a principled leader, could really influence the situation regarding Bank "Alliance" and finally stop all financial schemes operating in the institution. However, he needs to carefully vet his circle, including his deputies. Former NBU head Kyrylo Shevchenko continues to exert influence on the regulator through his people who still work at the NBU.

The thing is, Shevchenko, who NABU declared wanted, was closely linked to Bank "Alliance"’s management. According to the media, he was running suspicious operations with government bonds on exchanges, as well as dubious transactions with “Kyivmetrobud” showing signs of fictitiousness and illegal cash, including immediately 211 million hryvnias.

"The SBU established that during 2017–2018 years officials of several banks, including Bank 'Alliance', acting in collusion with officials of LLC 'I-Nvest' and JSC 'Maister Brok' in the so-called 'group report' mode, carried out actions aimed at disguising the illegal origin of funds totaling over 86 million hryvnias for the purpose of legalization (laundering) of proceeds," journalists wrote. By the way, law enforcement has launched a new case against the ex-head of the NBU. This time — under article 255 of the Criminal Code — creation of a criminal organization that committed grave and especially grave crimes. It remains to be seen whether Bank "Alliance" will be included in that criminal organization.

Shevchenko has long been in Vienna, Austria — the same city where pro-Russian oligarch Firtash lives, who for decades used Bank "Alliance" for his schemes. In return, Shevchenko lobbied for the absence of inspections at Bank "Alliance" and continues to lobby the institution’s interests within the NBU.

Coincidence? Unlikely.

By the way, the former NBU head managed to obtain political asylum in Austria with the help of Firtash’s lawyers, who, incidentally, are preparing documents for Shcherban’s asylum application as well. Rumor has it that even before the war the Chairman of Bank Alliance’s Supervisory Board flew to Vienna dozens of times and now lives in Austria’s capital next to Firtash, Shevchenko, agrarian billionaire Bakhmatiuk and most of the exiles mentioned in the investigation — the so-called 'Vienna battalion'.

But back to Shevchenko and Firtash, who are linked by older affairs. The former NBU head developed an interesting scheme to move funds abroad when he owned Terra Bank. He placed 40 million dollars on a correspondent account at Austrian Meinl Bank, which were subsequently written off to repay the debt of an unknown offshore. Now Firtash is moving funds out of Bank "Alliance" abroad using the same scheme. This could involve tens of millions of dollars. That is, his companies are actively being lent by European banks. The collateral on those loans are funds of "Alliance" placed on correspondent accounts in European banks. By the way, rumors say that before the war the Supervisory Board chairman Shcherban flew to Vienna no fewer than 30 times. Could it have been to coordinate "Alliance" schemes with Firtash?

A few more words about Shevchenko and the NBU. Thanks to his tenure as NBU head, Bank "Alliance" continued to increase its debts to the regulator without repaying the refinancing loan. This is not surprising, as under Shevchenko’s leadership the bank was effectively not inspected. And the inspections that were scheduled were carried out merely "on paper." That is why, in the absence of any regulator monitoring, the bank increased the loan portfolio with companies affiliated with Firtash. Among them were companies like "Evoterra Trade" described above: no actual activity and zero reporting. How many such companies the bank holds is probably known only to the institution’s top management, Shevchenko who shields the bank, and Firtash.

While law enforcement is silent, Firtash is increasing his influence through Klitschko

And while society awaits reactions from financial monitoring, NABU, DBR, the prosecutor’s office and other law enforcement agencies regarding the investigations into Bank "Alliance", Firtash continues to expand influence on various political groups in Ukraine through the bank.

This spring people close to the capital’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, met with Firtash in Austria. The media have repeatedly reported that the city mayor and the pro-Russian billionaire have long close ties. So now they again decided they could be useful to each other.

According to the media, they discussed support in the upcoming presidential elections. Klitschko’s people said the mayor is ready to "play dirty" against Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration to become the next head of state. Therefore they are actively launching a "black" PR campaign against the current President and his Chief of Staff Andrii Yermak to gradually discredit them both domestically and with international partners. Against the backdrop of the nationalization of Firtash’s regional gas companies, which will be completed by year-end, and the titanium enterprises of another fugitive billionaire Kostiantyn Zhevago and other fallen oligarchs, the mayor’s people’s proposal was supported. Shcherban, who, as noted above, records all conversations including with law enforcement, NABU, the NBU and the Office of the President, has actively joined this smear PR campaign. According to his own words, he has "enough" kompromat on key state figures.

In return, Firtash offered Klitschko to transfer the city’s largest utility enterprises, construction companies from the mayor’s orbit that are executing multi-billion contracts for roads, paving and wartime parks, to be serviced at Bank "Alliance." They also agreed to finance Klitschko’s construction companies through the bank using city funds placed at the institution.

"A joint laundering operation"

Additionally, sources close to the Kyiv mayor say Firtash agreed with Klitschko to jointly develop a "personal" bank. Through it Klitschko would be able to cycle city budget funds and lend them to his own construction companies and his election program. He has had similar experience with Khreschatyk Bank. Firtash, in the bank, would set up new "schemes" to continue moving capital abroad. This is extremely urgent for him now, since recently 7,4 billion hryvnias of his assets were arrested in Ukraine.

Shortly after the conversation with Firtash, the city authorities deposited 600 million hryvnias of the municipal enterprise "Kyivteploenergo" into accounts at Bank "Alliance."

How long will those funds stay there? Unlikely for long. The "schemes" to withdraw funds from Bank "Alliance" have been in place for years. So it is possible that soon the city leader, as in the scandal over shelters, will again solemnly promise on television to "find and punish the guilty."

Overall, the scale of corrupt schemes at Bank "Alliance" is staggering, as is the complete inaction of the NBU, law enforcement and the financial monitoring service. Perhaps they will finally be forced to act — if not by numerous media reports about Bank "Alliance"’s dealings, then by partners from the United States.

According to our sources, a number of Bank "Alliance" clients have already contacted the "hotline" opened by the U.S. Embassy to report corruption and abuses that affect support for Ukraine. The appeals contained concrete facts about all the large-scale scams at the institution.

So now the word is, if not with Ukrainian law enforcement, then with the Americans. They, by the way, very much want to extradite Firtash and put him behind bars for 50 years. And the schemes at Bank "Alliance" could specifically help that effort.

By the way, Firtash, in order to avoid extradition to the U.S., obtained the status of adviser to the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Belarus to international organizations in Vienna. Will that help him when all his schemes through Bank "Alliance" are revealed and proven and the NSDC nationalizes all property in Ukraine? Time will tell.

Author: Zoryana Haida