Key facts
- Sense Bank appointed Peter Novak as a new independent supervisory board member.
- Novak replaces Mykola Hladyschenko, who was dismissed due to suspected involvement in a money laundering scheme.
- The bank's CEO, Oleksiy Stupak, is also implicated in the anti-corruption probe.
- The investigation involves alleged laundering of Hr 150 million ($3.4 million) through Sense Bank.
- The Finance Ministry intends to expedite the sale of Sense Bank, nationalized in 2023.
Sense Bank has appointed Peter Novak, a Slovak national with extensive experience in the IT and banking sectors, as a new independent member to its supervisory board. This appointment follows the dismissal of Mykola Hladyschenko, the former chairman of the supervisory board, who was removed on August 21 due to his alleged involvement in a money laundering scheme. The bank's CEO, Oleksiy Stupak, is also facing accusations from anti-corruption investigators regarding the laundering of illicit funds through Sense Bank.
The investigation centers on allegations of laundering Hr 150 million (approximately $3.4 million) and transferring these funds to post bail for former Justice and Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko. Iryna Mudra, a former deputy chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelensky, is identified as the highest-ranking suspect and is accused of managing the bank's control and raising funds for Halushchenko's bail. Mudra has denied any wrongdoing and was placed in custody for two months with bail set at Hr 20 million ($448,000).
In the wake of the scandal, Ukraine's Finance Ministry, the bank's shareholder, has indicated an intention to accelerate the sale of Sense Bank, which was nationalized in 2023 from Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman. However, the bank's operational capacity is currently hampered by a shortage of supervisory board members. The board requires a minimum of nine members, including six independent members and three state representatives, to function effectively. Currently, only four members are listed on the bank's website, excluding the newly appointed Peter Novak. National Bank Governor Andrii Pyshnyi has urged the state to expedite the appointment of new representatives to the board.