The tycoon is rumored to have influence in the administration while activists say he controls at least 30 parliament deputies in the president s party.
In his statement, Blinken accused Kolomoyskiy of being involved in corrupt acts that undermined rule of law and the Ukrainian public’s faith in their government’s democratic institutions and public processes while serving as governor. Kolomoyskiy used his political influence and official power for his personal benefit, Blinken’s statement said.
Separately, the FBI is investigating Kolomoyskiy and business partner Hennadiy Boholyubov in connection with the $5.5 billion bailout of PrivatBank, once Ukraine s largest lender.
The tycoons are accused of embezzling billions of dollars from the bank through fraudulent loans and using some of the proceeds to buy assets in the United States, including real estate and metals plants.
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WASHINGTON Two Ukrainian tycoons under investigation by the FBI for money laundering are suing the United States for attempting to seize their Texas commercial building worth $23 million, saying the government’s actions violate the sovereignty of their home country.
Optima Ventures, a U.S. real-estate holding company controlled by billionaires Ihor Kolomoyskiy and Hennadiy Boholyubov, informed a Florida court on February 5 that it will file for arbitration against the United States in the World Bank’s International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
The U.S. Justice Department last year moved to seize three of Optima Venture’s commercial buildings, including in Texas, Kentucky, and Ohio, accusing Kolomoyskiy and Boholyubov of purchasing them with money embezzled from Kyiv-based PrivatBank and later laundered by U.S. shell companies.
Layoffs, Cryptocurrency, And Uncertainty At A Ukrainian Tycoon s Kentucky Factory
December 10, 2020 11:49 GMT
CCMA is one of only three U.S. plants producing ferrosilicon, an alloy of iron and silicon that is mainly used in the production of steel to enhance its strength. The company s three furnaces have an installed capacity of 100,000 metric tons.
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When CC Metals & Alloys (CCMA) halted operations in July, some workers at the 70-year-old plant in western Kentucky expected to be back on the job by the new year.
After all, the factory which produces an alloy of iron and silicon for the boom-and-bust steel industry has cut output and laid off employees during tough times over the decades, only to fire up idled furnaces and call workers back after a few months.