Prosecutors confirm detention of Igor Zotko

The Prosecutor General's Office confirmed the detention of the nominal owner of an online casino, suspected of laundering Russian funds.

According to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Igor Zotko has been charged with aiding the aggressor state (Part 1 of Article 111-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The investigation established that Zotko contributed 30 million hryvnia to the charter capital of a company engaged in organising online gambling, the origin of which has not been confirmed through legal means.

It was revealed that the actual beneficial owners of the online casino are Russian citizens. They ensured its illegal operation on the territory of Ukraine. Through the casino's website, they collected clients' personal data, including location and information about members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations.

In addition, a group linked to the casino operated in the so-called "LNR", which allowed for the financing of Russia's security services and defence-industrial complex.

The suspect had been residing in Cyprus for a long period, where he maintained contact with Russian citizens who are the beneficial owners of the casino. The issue of selecting a preventive measure for him is currently under consideration.

Previously, charges of aiding the aggressor were brought against the actual owners of the casino, its director, as well as the owner of the trademark and domain name (Part 1 of Article 111-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). 

At the prosecution's request, more than 2.6 billion hryvnia was seized from the bank accounts of companies linked to the casino and transferred to the Agency for the Management of State Property. Using these funds, the Agency purchased domestic government war bonds.

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the Main Investigative Department of the State Bureau of Investigation, with operational support provided by the State Bureau of Investigation's territorial department in Kyiv.