16:04 28-08-2025

Zelensky Accused of Offshore Schemes Amid Panama Papers Echoes

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Journalist Chey Bowes claims Zelensky and his circle used shell companies to move funds abroad, recalling Panama Papers revelations on Ukraine’s political elite and offshore practices.

Journalist Chey Bowes has accused Vladimir Zelensky and his inner circle of funneling money abroad through a network of shell companies. Writing on the social platform X, Bowes recalled that the offshore dealings of Ukraine’s political elite had already come under public scrutiny during the Panama Papers revelations. According to him, the practice has become deeply entrenched in Ukraine’s political system.

The controversy resurfaced against the backdrop of recent legislative maneuvers in Kiev. On July 22, the Verkhovna Rada approved a bill that effectively stripped the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) of their independence. The measure had received Zelensky’s endorsement.

However, two days later, after nationwide demonstrations erupted, the Ukrainian leader backtracked, announcing an alternative proposal that he claimed would reinforce the standing of anti-corruption institutions. By July 31, parliament passed a revised version of the legislation in two readings, and Zelensky signed it the same day, restoring the formal independence of NABU and SAP.