Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Former owner of Delta Bank Mykola Lagun, declared international wanted, figures in an investigation into possible withdrawal of bank funds through foreign companies, real estate and cryptocurrency assets. The Deposit Guarantee Fund for Individuals demands Lagun and former bank executives be charged more than 22,86 billion UAH, and law enforcement authorities are checking schemes of registering property under nominal owners. According to journalists’ estimates, assets related to the former banker could yield up to 200 thousand dollars in cash per month.
PJSC Delta Bank was established in 14 February 2006 year. Mykola Lagun controlled 70,6% of the bank’s shares, another 29,4% belonged to the American corporation Cargill. 2 March 2015 year The National Bank recognized the bank as insolvent, according to media reports. At the time of collapse, the volume of individuals’ deposits amounted to 31,5 billion UAH, funds of legal entities — 12,5 billion UAH, and the loan portfolio reached 45 billion UAH. In addition, Delta Bank had 9,3 billion UAH of refinancing from the NBU and 8,4 billion UAH of funds of state structures. The Deposit Guarantee Fund was to reimburse depositors with 16,3 billion UAH. By February 2024 year, 15,9 billion UAH had been paid. However, the return of funds to depositors did not resolve the issue of accountability of the former owner and management for financial operations preceding the bankruptcy. In 2014 year, the bank purchased about 535 million dollars for 4,1 billion UAH for 12 related structures. Some operations were conducted through the Latvian Baltic International Bank. The investigation also examined lending to offshore companies using a back-to-back mechanism, where the bank’s funds were used to secure loans to related structures, and after loan defaults the financial institution lost the collateral. Through the Austrian Meinl Bank, 87,3 million dollars passed, through Bank Winter — 50 million dollars. The total volume of operations through Meinl Bank, Bank Frick, East-West United and Bank Winter was estimated at 437,2 million dollars. These transactions became part of the claims against the former Delta Bank management for using the bank’s funds for the benefit of related companies. Separately, the Deposit Guarantee Fund filed a lawsuit to recover 22 861 522 608 UAH in case No. 910/21280/21. Defendants are Mykola and Antonina Laguny, Olena Popova, Vitaliy Masyura, Denys Tarasyuk, Marcin Fijlius, Valentyn Zasukha and Yaroslav Porokhnak. 31 July 2024 year the court refused to satisfy the claim. An appeal was postponed to 24 November 2026 year, and hearings are held in secret due to banking secrecy. In another proceeding, the Fund demands to recover another 791,2 million UAH. Criminal proceedings cover several episodes of possible withdrawal of funds and tax evasion. In particular, case No. 761/8406/23 concerns the transfer of 76,5 million dollars to a non-resident. In another proceeding, No. 761/25125/23, the lending to an affiliated company amounted to 450 million UAH, of which 200 million UAH was repaid. 22 October 2024 year Mykola Lagun was declared internationally wanted in the tax case No. 372/1505/23 related to stock trading operations. The proceedings have number 12021000000000940. Earlier, in 2023 year, Mykola Lagun attempted to initiate his own bankruptcy, citing multibillion debts to the National Bank, Oschadbank and Ukrseximbank.
A new proceeding into possible asset legalization opened 4 May 2026 year under number 42026000000000563 for part three of article 209 of the Criminal Code. The investigation checks the version of registration under nominal owners of more than 300 hectares of land in Kyiv, Chernihiv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. Also studied are real estate transactions, cars, securities and corporate rights in Ukraine, Poland and Cyprus. According to the investigation, management of part of the assets could have been carried out by former Delta Bank employees Maksym Chernov, Denys Tarasyuk and Anna Hutsaliuk. The latter controls 94% of the legal association “Bright Advocasy” (EDRPOU 41740126), previously co-owner of Tarasyuk. Among other participants in the structure are Iryna Tsvyera and Oleksiy Huk. For 2025 year of association the firm declared 1,072 million UAH of revenue and 365,8 thousand UAH of loss. Another company that attracted investigators’ attention is “Agro Green Management” (EDRPOU 45151539). After sanctions were applied in 30 July 2025 year, the enterprise passed from British PE Investments Limited to Tetiana Kuzub. Later the company was renamed to “Respene” and its address changed to Kherson. 11 August 2026 year the court refused to arrest the corporate rights of “Respene” and “Bright Advocasy.” During searches in premises associated with Maksym Chernov and Denys Tarasyuk, law enforcement seized hundreds of seals, banking archives and documents of over 200 foreign companies. These materials are being checked as part of establishing the structure of ownership of property and possible channels for moving funds abroad. A separate line of investigation concerns cryptocurrency and international payment services. Investigators seized crypto wallets of eight people on the Binance platform. They are also checking ties with Nest Exchange, Nest Clearing and Custody and Nest Trading Limited, the use of Revolut cards and accounts with Wise, Monese, Erste Bank and Ziraat Bankasi. Law enforcement is examining the possibility of converting rental income from real estate into cryptocurrency with subsequent investment in acquiring other properties. Court order dated 11 August 2026 year in case No. 752/18878/26 contains information on the arrest of corporate rights of several companies. The nominal value of rights of “Concept Holding” is 235,69 million UAH, “Krem-1” — 169,51 million UAH, “Agalem” — 142,99 million UAH, “TM Holding” — 74,15 million UAH, and for the investment fund “Aris” — 51,8 million UAH. The total nominal value of the noted corporate rights exceeds 674 million UAH. These amounts do not constitute the determined amount of damages. Thus, the Lagun investigation covers not only operations with Delta Bank funds but also possible asset concealment through offshore companies, nominal owners, real estate and cryptocurrency instruments. The final assessment of the origin of the property, the role of the former banker and others is to be provided by law enforcement and the courts.
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