Ukrainian court issues arrest warrant for ex-central bank chief.

The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine has issued an arrest warrant in absentia for Kyrylo Shevchenko, a former chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine, the Anti-Corruption Action Center reported on Dec. 8. 

Shevchenko is suspected of organizing a corruption scheme to embezzle 206 million hryvnias (over $5.5 million) from Ukraine's Ukrgazbank. 

The court’s decision may be grounds for extraditing Shevchenko from Austria, where he is allegedly undergoing medical treatment. 

If Shevchenko returns to Ukraine, he must be detained at the border and brought to court within 48 hours, the report reads. 

Kyrylo Shevchenko was appointed chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine in July 2020. 

In October 2021, Bloomberg reported that President Volodymyr Zelensky wanted to fire Shevchenko. Zelensky publicly questioned Shevchenko’s performance and even said he regretted appointing him. 

The Ukrainian parliament dismissed Shevchenko in October 2022. He attributed his resignation to “health reasons,” aggravated by “two years of political pressure,” which had intensified before he left the post.