Oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, under FBI probe, stripped of Ukraine citizenship
In a stunning rebuke of one of Ukraine's most powerful figures, oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky was stripped of his citizenship in a bold step that could remove protections for the oligarch if he’s charged for his alleged role in a scheme to steal millions from the nation’s largest bank and conceal the money in steel mills and skyscrapers in the American heartland.
The order by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could potentially open the way for prosecutors to move for extradition against the billionaire -- the target of a federal grand jury investigation -- in one of the largest money-laundering cases of its kind.
"They are taking serious measures," said John Herbst, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. "It may be a response to this latest expression of concern about corruption in Ukraine. If this is true, this is a big deal. Ukraine, of course, is fighting for its life."
Mr. Zelenskyy’s order in the midst of the war with Russia comes after years of legal battles by prosecutors to seize U.S. properties they say the oligarch and his partners bought with money stolen from his former bank -- the losses large enough to cripple the country's economy -- and moved into the United States between 2008 and 2015.
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2022/07/24/oligarch-ihor-kolomoisky-stripped-ukraine-citizenship/stories/202207230047