The situation surrounding Oleksandr Zyma, the chief lawyer of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), is attracting more and more attention, as he is under investigation for possible abuse of office, but at the same time continues to fulfill his duties and receives millions in income. This raises questions about the transparency and work ethics of key officials in the country's financial institution.
Criminal proceedings have been opened against Oleksandr Zyma for possible abuse of official position. The case concerns Oleksandr Zyma's letter to the Deposit Guarantee Fund of Individuals, in which he, on behalf of the National Bank, recommended that the FGVFO withdraw the lawsuits filed by Concord Bank against the NBU even before the decision to liquidate the bank.
The Deposit Guarantee Fund heeded this recommendation, which, according to the co-founder of Concord Bank Olena Sosedka, deprived the shareholders of their constitutional right to a fair trial.
The prosecutor's office transferred the case to the Pechersk police department for investigation.
After that, the investigators recognized Elena and Yulia Sosedok as victims in the Zima case, which automatically confirmed that the official's actions caused damage. Experts point out that the next step in the investigation of this criminal proceeding should be to interrogate Zima and serve him with a notice of suspicion.
Even more indignant is the fact that Oleksandr Zima continues to work at the NBU without being removed from his post. Only in December 2024, he earned almost 700 thousand hryvnias. In total, in the last two months of last year, Zima received about 1.2 million hryvnias in salary.
This looks especially cynical against the background of the investigation, which concerns the possible abuse of his official position. Instead of being suspended pending an investigation, Zima continues to receive huge sums of money from the budget.
The question also arises as to why the NBU did not take measures to suspend Zima from his duties. The absence of such actions can undermine trust in the banking system of Ukraine and raise doubts about its transparency.
The situation with Zima is a test of the ability of state bodies to act honestly and transparently. The police should focus on the investigation and bringing the case to its logical conclusion.
