Scandal about ex-banking boss: Austria lets Shevchenko escape!

Scandal about ex-banking boss: Austria lets Shevchenko escape!

Laimgrubengasse 10, 1060 Wien, Österreich - The Austrian public prosecutor's office WKStA has hired the criminal proceedings initiated against Kyrylo Shevchenko, which was based on an anonymous message. This decision, which was published on December 10, 2024, takes place in the context that Shevchenko, former head of the National Bank of Ukraine, is under pressure due to allegations such as mismanagement and corruption. After resigning in 2022, a few months after the Russian invasion, Shevchenko turned to Austria, where he applied for political asylum. The Austrian government rejected the delivery application of Ukraine, which burdens' confidence in the Ukrainian reform efforts to combat corruption, as the kronen Zeitung

Shevchenko makes the accusation that Ukraine does not act well from its previous administration and its refusal to take preventive economic measures. In an interview, he explained that all allegations made against him were wrong and that he falsifies himself as part of a political persecution. As the kyiv independent notes in a report, the situation is much more complicated, since the pressure and conflicts within the Ukrainian media landscape show how controversial against former officials under President Selenskyj is. The dependence of the media on financial and political powers endangers journalistic integrity.

Shevchenko's case reflects the deep cracks in the Ukrainian political establishment and illustrates the challenges with which the country is confronted, especially with regard to international perception and combating corruption. The employment of the procedure by the Austrian authorities is a clear indication of the lack of evidence and questions the effectiveness of the Ukrainian judicial systems, while Shevchenko continues to fight to escape the attacks of its political pursuer.