The Košice Regional Police Department is already investigating this high-profile case, Markíza reports.
Money from the sale of property in her home country
Natalia, along with her husband and two children, fled to Slovakia after the outbreak of full-scale war in Ukraine. After selling their real estate in their home country, the family decided to securely store the cash they received and rented a bezpečnostnú schránku (safe deposit box) at the Košice branch of ČSOB.
In March of this year, she withdrew part of her savings, leaving 35,000 euros in the safe deposit box. However, when she returned to the bank a few months later, the box was empty.
“We came with my husband and two children. I opened the safe deposit box, and it was completely empty. The money had simply vanished,” says a stunned Natalia.
How access is managed and what the bank says
The victim doesn’t understand how this could have happened, since according to the bank’s regulations, the procedure for opening a safe deposit box requires strict oversight:
Access to the vault is only possible when accompanied by a bank employee.
Two keys are required to open a safe deposit box—one is kept by the customer, and the other is used by a bank employee.
Natalia insists that she has never given her keys to anyone else and has never lost them.
At the same time, the bank emphasizes its internal rules: storing cash in safety deposit boxes is prohibited. Natalia, however, claims that no one warned her about this when she signed the contract.
ČSOB spokesperson Zuzana Fečová noted that the bank conducted an internal investigation and reviewed both its own procedures and its staff, but found no violations on the part of employees. The bank stated that it has been cooperating with law enforcement from the outset and contacted the police on its own initiative.
The investigation is ongoing: theories and chances of compensation
Law enforcement officials confirmed that a criminal case has been opened under the charge of “ongoing criminal theft.”
“An investigator from the regional police department is currently carrying out the necessary procedural steps. No further information is available at this time,” said Jana Illeshova, spokesperson for the Košice Region Police.
Former criminal investigator Matej Snopko emphasized in comments to journalists that the investigation will have to examine absolutely all theories:
“There have been cases worldwide where cash has indeed mysteriously disappeared from bank vaults. But there are also speculators who fabricate fictitious thefts. With success and a bit of luck, the police will be able to unravel this case.”
The contents of Natalia’s safe deposit box were insured for the amount specified in the contract. However, whether the bank will pay compensation to the victim’s family will depend solely on the official results of the police investigation and the legal assessment of this case.
