A former manager of PrivatBank, who had been wanted since 2021, has been arrested in Norway
This is reported by the Norwegian media outlet VG.
A Ukrainian bank manager, who had been missing since 2021, was detained at the ferry terminal in the Norwegian city of Kristiansand.
He was wanted by Interpol on suspicion of defrauding clients.
The Norwegian media outlet VG does not name the detainee.
However, according to hromadske, the man is likely to be Volodymyr Budzinskyi, the former head of the PrivatBank branch in the town of Husiatyn in the Ternopil region.
The circumstances of his disappearance, which were reported by Ukrainian media in 2021, match the information published by VG.
What happened in 2021
According to the Norwegian media, in 2021, the 45-year-old man was managing a bank branch in a small town in Ukraine.
In July of that year, he left for work but did not return home and stopped answering phone calls.
Local media reported at the time that his car was later found in another town.
Nine days later, the police found the manager in a hotel in a town on the other side of the country.
At the time, he explained his disappearance by citing problems in his personal life.
What is he suspected of?
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Volodymyr Budzinsky is suspected of large-scale theft, fraud and illegal activities involving money transfer documents.
The case also involves payment cards, other means of accessing bank accounts, electronic money and equipment for their production.
The charges are brought under Part 4 of Article 185, Part 2 of Article 190 and Part 2 of Article 200 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Subsequently, Ukrainian media reported that the man allegedly borrowed money from people, took out loans in other people’s names and misused access to bank accounts.
What the court in Norway established
The court in Norway established that the man had left Ukraine back in July 2021.
After that, his whereabouts were unknown to the Ukrainian authorities.
He was placed on an international wanted list in September 2025.
For the past few years, the suspect had been living in Germany.
On 24 May, he arrived in Kristiansand, Norway, on a Danish boat.
According to the court’s findings, the purpose of the trip was a 5–6-day holiday.
The position of the detainee and his lawyer
The man himself stated that he was aware of the warrant but allegedly did not know whom to contact regarding his case.
His lawyer claims that the client was available by phone and email, but did not receive any information from the Ukrainian authorities.
In Norway, the Ukrainian man has been remanded in custody until 21 June.
The Norwegian authorities are now due to contact the Ukrainian authorities regarding the issue of extradition.
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