Cyprus stripped Kolomoisky of his citizenship - Philenews
Ihor Kolomoisky (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The authorities of Cyprus recently revoked the citizenship of eight individuals, including Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky. The decision was made due to the businessman’s dubious image and the reputational risks he posed to the island nation, reports Philenews.
The Cypriot edition notes that Kolomoisky lost his citizenship after local authorities confirmed it was obtained through fraud, false statements, and concealment of significant facts.
The decision, part of Cyprus's broader policy on controlling investment passports, was made on September 4, but the information was only reported by the media yesterday.
The Cypriot authorities' decision states that Kolomoisky has been and remains a person of questionable character, and his naturalization has created and continues to pose a significant reputational risk to the Republic of Cyprus.
Philenews reports that a key factor in the revocation of his passport was that Kolomoisky did not disclose in his application for exceptional naturalization any information about a tax evasion case in Russia from 2008.
Additionally, the agency notes that Kolomoisky, apart from Cypriot citizenship obtained through an investment program in 2010, also holds Israeli and Ukrainian citizenship.
Since September 2023, Kolomoisky has been detained in Ukraine on suspicion of fraud and money laundering. Earlier, in 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stripped Kolomoisky of his Ukrainian citizenship.
In 2021, the US imposed sanctions on Kolomoisky due to serious corruption during his tenure as head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration from 2014 to 2015.
In February 2024, Kolomoisky's lawyers claimed that two months had passed since they had reviewed his lawsuit regarding the loss of his Ukrainian citizenship.
