NBU grants its approval for acquisition of qualifying holdings in 6 banks

Last week the NBU gave its approval to the Dvoretskys to acquire a qualifying holding equal to 70% of the authorized capital of JSCB Industrialbank and a qualifying holding exceeding 80% of the authorized capital of JSB Express-Bank. Following the acquisition by Rosa  Dvoretsky, Anna Dvoretsky and Ihor Dvoretsky qualifying holdings in banks, their ownership structures are regarded as transparent by the NBU, according to the statement.

The NBU also has granted its approval to Mykhailo Fridman, German Khann, Piotr Aven and Oleksiy Kuzmichov to acquire a qualifying holding in PJSC Alfa-Bank. The aforementioned individuals are the owners of Holdings SA, which indirectly owns shares of PJSC Alfa-Bank through ABH Ukraine Limited.

Nurzhan Subkhanberdin and Kenes Rakishev (both Kazakhstan nationals) were granted approval for the acquisition of a qualifying holding in PJSC BTA Bank. Each of them acquired a qualifying holding exceeding 47% of the total shareholding in the bank.

Bakhtari Hedayat-Allah Musa obtained the approval to acquire a direct qualifying holding of 100% in Alpari Bank PJSC.

Additionally, the NBU has given its approval to Hamed Alikhani (a French national) for the acquisition of a direct qualifying holding in PJSCCB Center. Up until now, Hamed Alikhani has been an indirect owner of a qualifying holding of 60% in this bank, but has never undergone an approval procedure at the NBU. In August 2015, Hamed Alikhani increased a qualifying holding in this bank up to 100% without prior approval from the NBU. This infringement of the rules governing the acquisition of a qualifying holding led the NBU to impose a fine of UAH 1.2 million on this company, according to the report.