Death of former Fidobank owner in Milan: police considering murder version

An investigation is underway in Milan into the death of 54-year-old Ukrainian banker Oleksandr Adarich, who, according to preliminary data, fell from a fourth-floor window. Italian law enforcement officers do not rule out the possibility of premeditated murder.

According to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, the tragedy occurred on January 23 on Via Nerino, where Adarich was staying at a B&B. At first, his identity remained unknown, but it later turned out that he had dual citizenship – Ukrainian and Romanian.

According to information, the fall occurred from a height of about 15 meters. At about 18:30, the hotel concierge heard the sound of the fall and called the police, indicating that she saw the body of a man with no signs of life. According to testimony, shortly after the incident, another man looked out the window, went down the stairs, asked about the incident, and left the building.

CCTV footage showed two men leaving the building, prompting the case to be changed from an accident to a possible murder. Investigators found that Adaric was not alone at the time of the fall.

During a search of the apartment, officers found several documents issued by different countries with similar personal details. International channels of cooperation were used to verify their authenticity. The Milan prosecutor’s office is currently coordinating the investigation, led by prosecutor Rosario Ferracane. Conclusions are expected after a forensic medical examination, including an autopsy, to determine whether Adaric was alive at the time of the fall. A version of a fake suicide is also being considered.

Investigators have reportedly contacted the deceased’s wife, but she has not provided any further comments. It is known that Adaric arrived in Milan in the morning and planned to leave the city that evening.

Oleksandr Adarich is known to the public as the “owner” of Fidobank. Still, journalist Maria Zakordonets believes that the real beneficiary of this financial institution was Serhiy Arbuzov, the former head of the National Bank of Ukraine.

The post details the bankruptcy of Fidobank, where officials organized the illegal issuance of loans that were, in turn, used to buy the bank’s buildings at an undervalued price.

Oleksandr Adarich acquired SEB Bank in 2012 and Erste Bank in 2013, merging them into Fidobank. In May 2016, the National Bank of Ukraine declared Fidobank insolvent. Another financial institution, Eurobank, in which Adarich and Vadym Pushkarev were co-owners, was also liquidated after the exposure of a deposit “splitting” scheme.