A banker with close links to Presidential Administration Chief Viktor Medvedchuk and his inner circle of associates has been found dead under suspicious circumstances.
Yury Lyakh, 39, chairman of Ukrainian Credit Bank, was found dead on Dec. 3 in his office at the bank.
Citing informed sources, crime e-zine www.cripo.com.ua wrote that Lyakh was found dead with lesions on his neck made with a paper knife. A letter in which Lyakh wrote his last words was also allegedly at the scene.
The cause of death remained unclear four days after Lyakh’s body was found. Associates, co-workers, law enforcement officials and prosecutors remained tight-lipped.
Ukrainian media reports have alleged that Lyakh was a member of the so-called Big Seven, an inner circle of business associates and friends closest to Medvedchuk. Other members of the group allegedly include Hryhory Surkis, his younger brother Ihor, Yury Karpenko, Valery Zgursky and Bohdan Hubsky.
In media reports, both Medvedchuk and Surkis have referred to these individuals as their closest confidants.
Zgursky, the bank’s supervisory chairman, was not available for comment. His secretary said he would not comment on the death of Lyakh.
“We do not know what happened. We will not comment on it,” she added.
Other officials at the bank also declined comment.
Hubsky, Hryhory Surkis and Igor Surkis were also unavailable for comment.
The Interior Ministry in Kyiv did not cover the event on their Web site, which usually reports on high-profile crimes.
Dmytro Andriyev, a spokesperson at the Kyiv division of the Interior Ministry, would not confirm Lyakh’s death, but directed inquiries to the Kyiv City Prosecutor General’s Office.
Another spokesperson at the ministry confirmed that Lyakh had indeed died, and that an investigation by prosecutors had been launched. The spokesperson declined to discuss the case further.
Svitlana Melnyk, a spokesperson at the Prosecutor General’s Office, was “not prepared” to comment.
According to the Official Ukraine Today directory of Ukrainian officials, Medvedchuk is a cofounder of Ukrainian Credit Bank. He also founded other firms including law firm B.I.M. International, Slavutych Concern and joint stock company Dynamo Kyiv, a holding through which he and others control the capital’s football club.
Hryhory Surkis and Ihor Surkis have held top posts at Dynamo Kyiv football club. Hryhory currently serves as the head of Ukraine’s football federation, while Ihor holds the top post at the Dynamo Kyiv soccer club.
Hubsky has also held top posts at the club, in addition to at Ukrainian Credit Bank and Slavutych Concern.
Medvedchuk and Surkis are leaders of the influential Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united). Media reports have in recent weeks alleged that Medvedchuk and Surkis have been blacklisted by the United States – denied visa access in connection with suspected corruption and involvement in the falsification of the Ukrainian presidential elections.
