The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has said that the assets of a Russian bank were used to finance terrorist groups in east Ukraine, and criminal proceedings have been launched against bank officials.
“Criminal proceedings have been launched against officials of a
Russian bank, which organized and carried out the funding of terrorists
who, under the slogans of pro-Russian separatism, are operating in the
eastern regions of Ukraine,” the SBU press center reported.
According to the press center, in March-April this year, officials of
the bank’s central office in Kyiv, in defiance of the law of Ukraine on
preventing and counteracting the legalization (laundering) of proceeds
from crime or financing of terrorism,” funded the organizers of
“terrorist groups whose members committed violence against citizens,
pogroms, arson, destruction of property, seizure of government
buildings, resisted representatives of the authorities and law
enforcement agencies with the use of weapons, as well as actions aimed
at preparing to commit terrorist attacks.”
As an example, the SBU mentioned that on April 6 active members of
such groups occupied the building of the SBU office in Luhansk region
where they seized weapons and ammunition for further use in terrorist
activities.
“In order to finance terrorist groups officials of this banking
institution organized in March-April the transfer of Hr 45 million from
non-cash to cash,” reads the report.
SBU investigators opened criminal proceedings on these facts under
Part 3, Article 258-5 (financing of terrorism) of the Criminal Code of
Ukraine.
