The National Bank of Ukraine, or NBU, has again warned that its independence and the institution’s mission as an impartial financial regulator is under threat amid an alleged campaign being waged by its enemies.
The NBU repeated these warnings on Dec. 3, saying it is facing more and more pressure in the guise of aggressive and paid-for protests, biased media coverage and politically-motivated court cases that are designed to undermine the bank’s work and intimidate its staff and their families.
The campaign of intimidation and harassment that the NBU says it has been the target of is also now impacting the families of Central Bank workers, the regulator has claimed. Protests have spread to family homes and NBU workers have been threatened outside of work.
“Terror and pressure on the NBU – the institution, the board, the collective – continue. From yesterday and today – in the form of personal persecution of families and close employees of the NBU,” the bank said in a Dec. 3 statement to the Interfax news agency.
The so-called “Stop Corruption in the NBU” protests began on Nov. 13 outside of the Central Bank and have spread. Protesters soon staged rallies outside of NBU Governor Yakiv Smolii’s home and also protested at the home of his first deputy, Ekaterina Rozhkova.
On Dec. 2, the protesters increased their presence and put down roots as they set up an encampment at the entrance to the village where Smolii lives. The next day, 10 protesters arrived at Rozhkova’s house with placards and loudspeakers.
On Dec. 3, Interfax reported that a camera crew from the Ihor Kolomoisky-owned 1+1 television channel had entered the porch of Smolii’s house while his daughter and wife were at home.
The NBU board says that these tactics are all part of a “focused attack” that has lasted several weeks and consisted of “slander in the media, paid protests… and attempts to invade the central bank.”
“We are outraged by… organizers of rallies [that] distort the democratic right of citizens to freedom of speech and free expression of their views to satisfy their own business interests,” stated the NBU, in reference to protests that have been taking place outside of the NBU in Kyiv and the headquarters of PrivatBank, in the eastern city of Dnipro.
Protesters have attempted to storm the NBU building, while rallies outside of PrivatBank have also threatened to become violent.
Read also: Ukraine government says it is committed to justice for PrivatBank
PrivatBank, Ukraine’s largest bank which was nationalized in 2016 and taken away from its then co-owners, the oligarchs Ihor Kolomoisky and Hennadiy Boholyubov, has also said it’s being targeted by a harassment campaign.
The NBU and multiple experts say the protests are organized by Kolomoisky through his proxies. Salary payments have been withheld to Kolomoisky’s factory workers and the NBU and PrivatBank have been blamed for this, sparking protests at both locations.
PrivatBank CEO Petr Krumkhanzl was hospitalized following a reported heart attack that took place on Nov. 23 amid ongoing protests by workers from the Kolomoisky-owned Nikopol Ferroalloy Plant at PrivatBank’s headquarters.
PrivatBank told the Kyiv Post they have “evacuated” 300 of their workers to an office with normal working conditions after the protests got out of control.
Both the NBU and PrivatBank said they have taken extra measures to protect their property, their staff and the families of workers.
Last week, the NBU stated: “We believe that this pressure on the National Bank is carried out by the oligarch and ex-owner of Privatbank Ihor Kolomoisky, who owes the state $5.5 billion withdrawn from PrivatBank before nationalization.”
Read also: PrivatBank has recovered, but is still haunted by Kolomoisky
