NBU demands explanations from Monobank over Horokhovskyi’s publication of client’s photo with "Russian flag"
The National Bank of Ukraine is demanding explanations regarding a post by Monobank co-founder Oleh Horokhovskyi, in which he shared a photo of a bank client. The issue stems from a likely Russian flag in the background and accusations of pro-Russian views.
The NBU said this in response to a request from Ekonomichna Pravda, Censor.NET reports.
Regulator demands explanations
The National Bank said it is examining the circumstances of the incident and has already sent a request to the bank asking it to explain the dissemination of information obtained during a client’s identification or verification, which may include banking secrecy.
The regulator said it would be able to assess Horokhovskyi’s actions only after receiving the bank’s response and verifying all the facts. Until then, it will not comment on the situation, as information obtained during supervisory actions also constitutes banking secrecy.
If the review reveals violations of legislation or NBU rules, the regulator may apply sanctions against the bank as provided by law.
What preceded this?
- On 9 March, Oleh Horokhovskyi posted on Threads a photo of a client against the backdrop of a flag resembling a Russian one. He said the client had contacted video verification to ask why her account had been blocked.
"They said it was because her hair was unwashed..." Horokhovskyi commented.
Later, the client herself, Karina Kolb, responded to the post. She explained that the photo showed not a Russian flag, but a Slovenian one, and that the picture had not been taken in her home. The woman claims she did not pay attention to the background, and that the flag behind her in the photo was not Russia’s, but Slovenia’s (It differs from the Russian one only by the presence of a coat of arms on the left side - ed).
Later, serviceman Serhii Hnezdilov said he had spoken with Karina.
- According to her, she moved with her mother from Kharkiv to Slovenia in 2023, and a year later to Germany, where she still lives.
After the woman’s response, Horokhovskyi published a new post in which he said that "supporters of the Russian world in Ukraine will have no protection of personal data". He continues to insist that the flag in the woman’s photo is in fact, the Russian tricolour.
