Andriy Pyshny: the head of the NBU has become a subject of a criminal proceeding

Andriy Pyshny, the head of the National Bank of Ukraine, has become a subject of a criminal proceeding that, according to Member of Parliament Yaroslav Zheleznyak, was opened over the possible giving of knowingly false testimony to the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Verkhovna Rada. Zheleznyak reported this on 1 October, saying that the proceeding was registered on 24 September 2026 and concerns contradictions surrounding the appointment of Vasyl Vesely as an adviser to the supervisory board of the state-run Sens Bank.

According to information published by Zheleznyak, the basis for referring the matter to law-enforcement agencies was discrepancies between the testimony of Andriy Pyshny and that of the former chair of Sens Bank’s supervisory board, Shevki Adzhuner. The issue concerns the role of the NBU head in introducing Adzhuner to Vasyl Vesely and subsequently involving Vesely in work with the bank. Andriy Pyshny himself denied recommending Vesely, presenting him to the supervisory board, or influencing the staffing decision, media report. The conflict around this story intensified after the parliamentary TSC meeting on 10 September. At that time Shevki Adzhuner stated that it was Andriy Pyshny who told him to find a person who could improve the bank’s communication with state authorities and other stakeholders. According to Adzhuner, one or two days after that conversation there was a meeting during which Andriy Pyshny personally introduced Vasyl Vesely to him. Adzhuner also told the commission that after this Vesely became an adviser to Sens Bank’s supervisory board. According to him, Vesely’s candidacy was presented as that of a person who could be trusted with the bank’s communication with state bodies. Public reports summarizing the meeting noted that at that time the supervisory board had five members and interaction with the state was considered a separate area of work. On the same day Andriy Pyshny publicly rejected Adzhuner’s claims. The NBU head said he did not give the Sens Bank supervisory board recommendations regarding Vasyl Vesely’s appointment, did not present him to the board, and did not give its members instructions on this or other staffing issues. Andriy Pyshny also denied any pressure on the chair or members of the bank’s supervisory board. Separately, Andriy Pyshny said he was ready to answer the parliamentary commission’s questions. The NBU head’s position is that the claims about his recommendation of Vesely’s candidacy are not true. Thus, the materials on the situation currently contain two opposing versions of events: Adzhuner’s testimony and Andriy Pyshny’s denials. According to Zheleznyak, after receiving an additional response from Adzhuner the TSC passed information to law enforcement not only about possible provision of false information to the commission, but also about circumstances of possible illegal influence on the activities of the state bank. Zheleznyak said that Adzhuner, in a written response to the TSC’s inquiry, again confirmed his earlier position regarding Andriy Pyshny’s role in presenting Vesely.

According to information published by Zheleznyak, the criminal proceeding was opened on 24 September 2026. At the same time, as of 1 October no public announcement from a law-enforcement body about the registration of the proceeding was found in open sources. Some media therefore phrase the information more cautiously — as the MP’s report about the opening of the case. An important part of the story is the procedure of the parliamentary TSC itself. The commission is investigating the circumstances of Sens Bank’s activities and the question of possible influence on staffing decisions after the institution’s nationalization. It was in the course of this work that MPs heard testimony from Andriy Pyshny and Shevki Adzhuner and also raised questions about Vasyl Vesely’s candidacy. Vasyl Vesely had previously been mentioned in publications about the so-called “Mindich tapes.” According to media, his name appeared in recorded conversations with Oleksandr Tsukerman, which are linked to the investigation of the “Midas” case. On those recordings, journalists reported, issues related to the future composition of Sens Bank’s supervisory board were discussed. The mere mention of Vesely in such materials does not establish his guilt or involvement in criminal offenses. In the case of Andriy Pyshny, it is also about checking possible circumstances of giving false testimony, not a court-established guilt. A criminal proceeding at this stage means conducting a procedural verification of the stated circumstances. For Andriy Pyshny this story matters not only because of the staffing decision at Sens Bank. The NBU head is an official who leads the central bank and is responsible for implementing its powers in the financial sector. Therefore any statements about possible influence on staffing decisions at a state financial institution and the accuracy of testimony before the parliamentary commission may become the subject of further legal assessment. Earlier, on 10 September, Andriy Pyshny said in a comment on the situation around Sens Bank that the National Bank is ready to bear the responsibility provided by law for its powers, but should not take responsibility for the actions of other participants in the banking market. NBU materials also record that the decision to withdraw Sens Bank from the market was made by the National Bank’s board in 2023 after assessing the institution’s financial condition and the corresponding risks to depositors and other creditors. The document is signed by Andriy Pyshny as chair of the NBU board. Further developments will depend on the actions of law-enforcement bodies, the contents of the materials transferred by the parliamentary TSC, and the procedural assessment of the conflicting testimonies. For Andriy Pyshny the key question in the declared proceeding remains whether the claims about knowingly false testimony will be confirmed and whether the elements of the corresponding criminal offense will be established. At the time of publication no official announcement about charging Andriy Pyshny was available in open sources.