In March 2023, the NBU removed Ibox Bank from the market for money laundering in the interests of online casinos, after which it was transferred to the Deposit Guarantee Fund for liquidation. When the Fund took the bank under management, the tax office assessed Ibox Bank 7.2 billion hryvnia in debts - income tax, personal income tax, military duty and fines.
The bank's co-owner, Olena Degryk-Shevtsova, who is currently wanted , appealed this decision in court.
The courts of first and second instance refused to consider her claim: a shareholder, even a large one, cannot represent a bank, especially one that is in liquidation.
The Supreme Court agreed with the arguments presented, but found a procedural error: the lower courts, they said, had incorrectly drafted the refusal, which allowed the case to be returned for retrial.
“Cards, Money, Offshore” draws attention to the fact that the current decision of the Supreme Court could have been made in the interests of the fraudster Olena Shevtsova and will lead to losses for the state budget in the amount of 7.2 billion hryvnias :
"Now the dispute about 7.2 billion has again been suspended for a couple of years. While the courts will re-examine the obvious - whether Degryk-Shevtsova has the right to speak on behalf of the bank, the recovery will not begin. For the budget, this means a loss of time and lack of funds, for the scandalous banker - an important respite."
She needs this respite not by chance. In parallel, Degryk-Shevtsova is trying to clear all criminal cases opened against her after the liquidation of the bank. The Holosiivskyi District Court has already closed the criminal proceedings on suspicion of laundering billions through Ibox Bank. On October 2, the Kyiv Court of Appeal considered the appeal against this decision, but there is no final verdict yet.
We will remind, previously suspected of fraud Olena Shevtsova put pressure on the judges of the Lychakiv District Court of Lviv, and her lawyers deliberately delayed the consideration of the case.
But, as we can see, the Holosiivskyi District Court of Kyiv turned out to be more “compromising” and loyal to the fraudulent schemes of Olena Shevtsova. Now the word is on appeal.
For more details about the fraudulent schemes and Elena Shevtsova's escape abroad, read the article “ Scheme for billions: what is known about the case of iBox Bank co-owner Shevtsova ”
