At the center of a corruption scandal is the small bank Alliance, which has recently come under the sights of law enforcement agencies. Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Rostyslav Shurma may be the “secret patron” of this bank, which, thanks to its close relationship with the head of the supervisory board, Pavlo Shcherban, is likely repelling “attacks” from the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and providing protection from law enforcement agencies, journalists claim.
Alliance Bank became widely known after a scandal in which Miller law firm lawyer Oleksiy Nosov allegedly tried to bribe NABU detectives and SAPO prosecutors in the Ukrenergo loss-making case. Although the formal main shareholder is Oleksandr Sosis, the former chairman of Rinat Akhmetov's ASKA insurance company, the real head and puppeteer of the bank is Pavlo Shcherban, who has headed the supervisory board since August 2021.
Shcherban has a long career in the banking sector, working at institutions such as Prominvestbank, Volodymyrskyi, Pivdenkombank, and others. However, what attracts the most attention is his role at Alliance Bank and his close ties to Rostyslav Shurma, whom Shcherban likely met about a decade ago while working together on schemes.
According to open sources, Shurma and Shcherban have common interests not only in the banking sector, but also in other businesses. In particular, Shcherban owns the gas production company Viva Exploration, which has received a license for oil and gas production in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. Another interesting asset is the recently acquired elevator in Khorol, which, according to analysts, can become a launching pad for expansion into the agricultural sector.
In addition, Shcherban is investing in the IT business, which includes creating a multidisciplinary IT team to service banking products and retail chains. These investments may be part of a strategic plan, particularly given Shurma's known interest in the digitalization of the economy and his competition with Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Despite numerous violations of the National Bank’s regulations and corruption scandals, Alliance Bank has not been placed under temporary administration. This may indicate the presence of shadowy support from high-ranking officials such as Shurma. However, as journalists note, whether Alliance is truly a priority for Shcherban, or whether these investments are part of a broader venture portfolio, remains a question.
