On 13 October 2016, the National Bank of Ukraine turned to the Security Service of Ukraine, the General Prosecutor's Office and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine requesting that criminal proceedings be launched against Mr Serhii Taruta in connection with the dissemination of provocative information and unfounded accusations against the NBU Governor.
We are referring here to the information brochure entitled Threat to the Economic Security of Ukraine containing false information that was handed out by Ukrainian businessman Mr Serhii Taruta before the beginning of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank member countries’ Annual Meetings, which were held in Washington (USA) from 6 October through 10 October 2016. The brochure was allegedly prepared by the Association of Ukrainian Banks headed by Mr Oleksandr Sugoniako. Currently, this Association does not represent the interests of the banking community, having lost its authority and influence in the banking industry long ago with most of its members abandoning it. According to information posted on its website, the last working meeting of its members took place in 2014.
NBU Governor Ms Valeria Gontareva, as Head of the Ukrainian delegation, represented our country at the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings. The agenda of these meetings included, among other topics,
issues that are critically important for Ukraine. In particular:
- implementation of the program supported by the IMF's Extended Fund Facility arrangement for Ukraine;
- securing assistance from stakeholders in facilitating the development of Ukraine's capital markets; and
- cooperation between the NBU and the world’s leading central banks.
The brochure distributed by Mr Taruta contained false, provocative, and distorted information, as well as unfounded accusations blaming the public officer for the collapse of the banking system and accusing the latter of being involved in corruption and activities that posed a threat to the economic security of the country. Some of this information has been recently disseminated through a few dubious online media outlets. The NBU and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau have dismissed this information on numerous occasions.
In some cases when it was possible to establish those who spread false information, the NBU filed a lawsuit in court seeking to defend its business reputation and refute false information. Court hearings are underway, but the litigants (in particular, MPs Mr Kostenko and Mr Golovko) do not show up for the hearings and have tried to avoid being held accountable for their misdeeds.
It is obvious that those who distributed the aforementioned brochures at the IMF and the World Bank member countries’ Annual Meetings aimed to discredit the NBU Governor, prevent her from performing her duties, and thus exert an unlawful influence on her professional activities. These actions have the attributes of a crime described in Article 344 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, and those guilty should face justice. This crime is punishable by restriction of liberty or imprisonment of up to 2 years.
“Unfortunately, some of our oligarchs still do not care about the development and prosperity of Ukraine. They only care about their own greedy interests. The NBU got in their way by winding up banks that have been used for decades as funding vehicles by oligarchs to finance their businesses and to take billions of hryvnias out of the country’s economy. Instead of engaging in a constructive dialogue with foreign partners and friends of Ukraine, these oligarchs resort to fabricating insinuations and dirty provocations. They shamelessly distributed false information even at the IMF’s meeting,” said NBU Governor Ms Gontareva.
Representatives of member countries of the IMF and the World Bank who are actively involved in providing technical and advisory assistance to Ukraine and well-acquainted with the management team of the NBU were shocked and outraged by such a disgraceful provocation and expressed their support for the NBU Governor.
Such actions are aimed at undermining the economic and information security of Ukraine. False information may be detrimental to the national interests and the country’s economic security since the outcome of decisions regarding critical issues for Ukraine may hinge on the perception of such misleading information by stakeholders. According to Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, this crime shall be punishable by deprivation of liberty for a term from 12 to 15 years.
These unlawful and arbitrary acts involving the distribution of false information in Washington should not be left unpunished. Therefore, the NBU, in accordance with the Criminal Code of Ukraine and the Law of Ukraine On the National Bank of Ukraine, turned to law enforcement authorities requesting that criminal proceedings be launched and a pre-trial investigation into the deliberate distribution of malicious false information.
The provocation committed in Washington is a part of an information campaign aimed at discrediting the NBU Governor. According to current information available to us, further provocations may be expected at a parliamentary session to be held on 18 October 2016.