Arseniy Yatsenyuk: Financial Monitoring Service blocked USD 1.34 bn on offshore accounts related to Yanukovych

The State Financial Monitoring Service has blocked USD 1 billion 340 million on the offshore accounts related directly to Viktor Yanukovych and his inner circle. The Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk appealed to Prosecutor General of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine and judicial authorities to return the arrested funds to the State Budget. He informed that during the session of the Government on Wednesday, June 18.

The Head of Government said he had received a report of the State Financial Monitoring Service about the three-month’s work which was carried out undercover by financial intelligence.

“The State Financial Monitoring Service has caught 42 non-resident companies registered in Cyprus, Seychelles, Panama, UK, Bells that are directly associated with Viktor Yanukovych and his closest aides,” Arseniy Yatsenyuk said.

According to the date of the financial intelligence, through 2010 – 2013 the above-mentioned companies opened accounts in banks of one of the neighbouring countries and transferred USD 16 billion. “Together with the financial intelligence services of the United States of America, Great Britain, Latvia, Cyprus and Panama we have indentified all the above offshore companies and all the names of high-rank officials and their authorized persons, who managed the companies and the money,” the Head of Government told.

According to him, the State Financial Monitoring Service has blocked funds on the accounts of 19 non-resident companies: “The overall sum of the blocked funds makes up USD 1 billion 340 million. The materials have been handed over to the Prosecutor General and with a court’s decision it was confirmed seizure of the appropriate funds”.

The Head of Government stressed that a considerable part of the funds through the offshore companies had been sent to purchasing the domestic governmental bonds of Ukraine: “For the stolen funds Ukraine paid up to 19% of income rate per annum”.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk addressed the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine and judicial authorities: “We have found USD 1 billion 340 million. Your task as the prosecutorial and law enforcement system is to officially return the seized funds to the State Budget. We have all the evidence that it was stolen from Ukrainians citizens”.

 “We expect for the end of the trial and the most active role of the public prosecutor in completing of the investigation and returning the funds in possession of Ukrainian country,” the PM urged.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk expressed gratitude to the State Financial Monitoring Service which in cooperation with the western partners had identified the accounts and the companies and caught the assets stolen from the State Budget of Ukraine”. The Head of Government explained the activity in this direction is prolonged.