1+1 media's statement on the NBU's response to their discovery of a number of "transactions with signs of criminal offenses"

In response to yesterday's appeal by 1+1 media regarding the possibility of political conditioning in checking the accounts of top managers and journalists, the press service of the National Bank of Ukraine responded in particular that "During the inspection of PJSC CB Privatbank, the National Bank discovered a number of transactions with signs of violations" .

Unfortunately, such an answer not only does not clarify questions about the possibility of using the National Bank as an instrument of pressure on the national media group, but also raises new ones, namely:

1. If the National Bank checks natural persons who are related to legal entities that, in turn, placed corporate accounts in PrivatBank, why is Viktoria Shulzhenko, who has never worked at 1+1 media, and for the past 10 years, she did not have an account with PrivatBank, due to the fact that in 2007 Victoria Shulzhenko took her husband's surname, and since the beginning of 2008, all of Victoria's documents have been issued in the name of Levchenko, including bank accounts. We hope it is not because of the fact that on the corporate website, Victoria is indicated by her maiden name, because it has never appeared in the official documents of the company and it would be strange to believe that the central government body uses the corporate website of the media group as the only source for verification " transactions with signs of offenses".

2. If the National Bank checks natural persons who are related to legal entities that, in turn, placed corporate accounts in PrivatBank, then why is Yehor Gordeev, an employee who works under a creative pseudonym, on the list of persons who need to be checked, and all whose official documents are issued in the real name? We hope that this is not because the former host of TSN and the host of the morning show on the channel does not use his official surname in public, because it would be strange to think that the central government body uses only the Internet as the only source for checking dubious transactions.

3. If the National Bank checks individuals who are related to legal entities that in turn placed corporate accounts in PrivatBank, why is David Ctogel, who never had accounts in PrivatBank, in the list of persons who need to be checked? Again, we hope it's not because David's information is on the company's corporate website. After all, it would be strange to believe that the central state administration body uses the media group's corporate website as the only source for checking "transactions with signs of offenses."

4. If the National Bank checks natural persons who are related to legal entities, which in turn placed corporate accounts in PrivatBank, why is Oleksandr Dubinsky, who is indeed an employee of 1+1 media, on the list of persons who need to be checked? some Oleksandr Dubinsky, who has no connection with the company?

5. If the National Bank checks individuals who are related to legal entities that in turn placed corporate accounts in PrivatBank, then why is Andriy Malchevskyi in the list of persons who need to be checked without specifying any detailed characteristics. After all, 1+1 media has three Andrii Malchevskyi. We hope it's not because Andriy Malchevskyi, head of the distribution department, is on the corporate website. After all, it would be strange to believe that the central state administration body uses the media group's corporate website as the only source for checking "transactions with signs of offenses."

Unfortunately, the National Bank's response indicates that the state body does not have any justified position regarding the reasons for checking all persons who are listed on the company's corporate website and are minority shareholders of 1+1 Production.

We demand a clear explanation of the reasons and logic of the formation of such lists, otherwise, we will consider it a farce and direct political pressure on journalists and media holding managers.

It is particularly surprising that even in one simple request, the central state body makes more than 10% errors, and requests, protected by bank secrecy, data of individuals based on corporate websites of companies and search engines on the Internet, without even trying to create the appearance of objective request based on at least some preliminary verification. But this, at least, explains why the country has such problems with ensuring the stability of the national currency and the banking system - obviously, the professional level of some employees of the National Bank has serious potential for development.