Vienna has once again been the subject of international scrutiny regarding money and corruption. Recently, the Austrian capital gained attention due to its connection to the Wirecard scandal, in which the Russian secret service reportedly received information through former Austrian agents. Now, the city is in the spotlight due to the alleged escape of Ukrainian oligarch Gennadiy Bogolyubov amidst criminal investigations.
The Escape
PrivatBank, Ukraine’s largest lender, filed a lawsuit in London accusing former co-owners Bogolyubov and Ihor Kolomoisky of orchestrating sham loans and supply agreements between 2013 and 2014 to defraud the bank on an “epic scale.” Ukraine nationalized the bank in 2016, injecting over UAH 155 billion ($3.8 billion) of state capital into the ailing bank. Kolomoyskyi and Boholyubov each previously owned 50% of the bank.
Gennariy Boholyubov, one of Ukraine’s wealthiest individuals, has reportedly fled to Vienna in a manner described as almost cinematic. According to Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigations (SBI), the father of five children left Ukraine using forged documents. Ukrainian authorities have launched an investigation into his illegal border crossing. Boholyubov has claimed that his departure is related to an alleged blackmail operation. According to Ukrainian media, he may attempt to evade potential prosecution in his home country.
Bogolyubov allegedly left Ukraine on June 24 by train to Poland, illegally using the passport of another Ukrainian, the investigators said.
Border Crossing Details
Authorities revealed that Boholyubov used an invalid passport belonging to a Ukrainian citizen who had not left the country. This has led to an investigation into the illegal crossing and the confiscation of the involved passport. Additionally, a border guard officer linked to the incident has been arrested. Despite the irregularities, Boholyubov reportedly entered Poland using his own passport, as reported by “Ukrajinska Prawda” based on leaked documents.
Arrival in Vienna
Following a visit to the UK to see his ailing mother, Boholyubov traveled to Vienna on Tuesday. In a telephone interview with “Ukrajinska Pravda,” he stated, “I flew to Vienna today, but I don’t know where I will live.” He denied using a false passport to leave Ukraine but admitted to having previous difficulties with border crossings. In 2023, his passport was confiscated and destroyed on suspicion of forgery during an attempted border crossing. Another attempt later that year succeeded after initial problems, reportedly with the intervention of the head of the Ukrainian border guard in Kyiv.
Business Partner’s Arrest
Boholyubov has been closely associated with Ihor Kolomoyskyi, another influential Ukrainian oligarch. Kolomoyskyi’s TV channel “1+1” played a significant role in Volodymyr Zelensky‘s presidential election. Both businessmen were suspected of corruption by the US in 2019. Kolomoyskyi has been in pre-trial detention in Ukraine since September 2023 on charges related to economic crimes, particularly involving PrivatBank.
Alleged Blackmail and Conflict
Boholyubov plans to reveal information about an alleged blackmail attempt, where he was purportedly told that no criminal proceedings would be initiated against him in Ukraine if he paid $100 million, as reported by the weekly newspaper “Dzerkalo Tyshnya” (zn.ua). There is also mention of a conflict with President Zelensky’s office, which refused to issue Boholyubov a diplomatic passport. Boholyubov, married to diplomat Emine Dzhaparova, had intended to move to Austria with her in March. Dzhaparova, appointed as Permanent Representative of Ukraine to international organizations in Vienna by Zelensky in February 2024, has not yet taken up the post.
