The National Bank of Ukraine has given its approval to the shareholders of three banks to acquire qualifying holdings in banks, reads the resolutions of the Committee on Banking Supervision, Regulation, and Payment Systems Monitoring (Oversight).

Mr. Mykhailo Spektor has secured the approval to acquire a direct qualifying holding of 24.5277% in First Investment Bank PJSC.   At the beginning of 2015, the bank participants included 17 legal entities and 17 individuals. Another qualifying shareholder, Mr. Oleksandr Kleshchuk holds a 48% stake in the bank.

Mr. Volodymyr Hisem and Mr. Myroslav Hisem, who are able to exert decisive influence on the management or activities of a bank irrespective of the formal ownership, have secured the approval to acquire a qualifying holding in COMINVESTBANK PJSC. As of January 1, 2015, 84.12% of the bank’s shares were held by Uzhgorod Cognac Plant Rent Enterprise and the remaining 15.88% of shares were held by Latuzh, LLC (shareholders – Mr. Volodymyr Hisem and Ms. Nadiia Bilynets).

The Surkis family consisting of Ihor Surkis, Maryna Surkis, Hryhoriy Surkis and Svitlana Surkis have secured the approval to acquire a qualifying holding in A-Bank PJSC. At the beginning of 2015, the bank participants included 12 legal entities and 1 individual. There were no qualifying shareholders among them.

In addition, the National Bank of Ukraine has completed the verification of the financial position of of Ms. Maryna Lening, the owner of CRISTALBANK PJSC, and reached the conclusion that the Bank's ownership structure is transparent.

As reported earlier, these four banks were among the banks that were in the final stage of going through a formal procedure of disclosing the ownership structure.