Ukraine issues warrant for Russian oligarch and former owner of Ukraine’s Alfa-Bank Mikhail Fridman
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Ukraine’s SBU security service has placed Mikhail Fridman, a Russian oligarch and former owner of Ukraine’s Alfa-Bank (now Sense Bank), on the wanted list, according to a statement by Fridman’s holding company, ABH Holdings S.A (ABHH), on Dec. 21.
ABHH claims that the Ukrainian government’s actions are the latest step in a dispute over the expropriation of Sense Bank.
“Previous steps included imposition of arbitrary and unlawful Ukrainian sanctions against ABHH and its shareholders, and, finally, the expropriation of Sense Bank,” the company added.
ABHH alleged that the SBU's warrant coincided with the end of the interim period (cooling-off period), during which the Ukrainian government was legally obligated to make diligent efforts to resolve the dispute amicably, according to the intergovernmental agreement between Ukraine and the Belgian-Luxembourg Economic Union.
“Despite ABHH's efforts to interact constructively with Ukraine in settlement negotiations, Ukraine preferred to relentlessly escalate the dispute,” the company claimed.
According to the treaty, any expropriation of Luxembourg investments in Ukraine is illegal, ABHH asserted.
Read also: Russian oligarch Fridman left London for Moscow — report
“The only exception to this rule is national security considerations,” the firm said.
“However, even if this exception were applicable, Ukraine has a firm commitment to provide full, effective, and prompt compensation in case of expropriation. Ukraine has clearly violated all these obligations.”
ABHH stated that they consider the SBU’s accusations against Fridman, who has been charged with financing the Russian war against Ukraine, to be baseless and false.
According to the SBU, Fridman invested about 2 billion rubles into several military factories in Russia at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. If convicted, the Russian oligarch faces up to eight years in prison with confiscation of property.
Fridman was sanctioned by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine on Sep. 22.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
