The Appellate Court of the High Anti-Corruption Court (VAKS) has concluded its review of four appeals filed by the defense and one by the prosecution regarding the preventive measure imposed on Iryna Mudra. Currently, no bail has been posted, and Mudra remains in custody.
According to the court, “The panel of judges of the Appellate Court of VAKS dismissed the appeals from both parties and upheld the ruling of the investigating judge regarding the detention of Mudra. The decision takes effect upon its announcement and is not subject to further appeal.”
The prosecution alleges that Mudra is involved in a criminal organization and is accused of preparing to illegally acquire property through abuse of power in particularly large amounts, as well as the illegal acquisition of property belonging to a company and money laundering of assets obtained through criminal means.
Reports indicated that as of September 1, only 666 UAH of the required 20 million UAH bail had been posted for Mudra, with the defense claiming ignorance about who made the contribution. Ukrainian actor and producer Hryhoriy Gryshkan confirmed to journalists on August 25 that he contributed the 666 UAH, the same amount he previously posted for former head of the Office of the President Andrii Yermak.
Context
- On August 19, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) announced a joint special operation with the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) aimed at uncovering an organization led by current and former members of the Ukrainian parliament, involving high-ranking officials from the Office of the President and others. This operation, named “Forest Gump,” suspects its members of laundering 150 million UAH, which were posted as bail for the suspect in the “Midas” case, former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.
- Among those implicated in the case is Iryna Mudra, a former deputy head of the Office of the President (who has since been dismissed), and former member of parliament Maksym Mykytas, who has been involved in previous NABU and SAP investigations. Searches were also conducted at the home of current parliament member Vadym Stolar (of the “Restoration of Ukraine” group). When Mudra’s home was searched, Mykytas was reportedly present, coordinating the bail posting for Halushchenko, according to sources from “Ukrainska Pravda.”
- It is believed that the scheme utilized the state-owned Sense Bank and accounts of controlled enterprises. The authority of Sense Bank’s supervisory board chairman Mykola Hladyshenko has been suspended, and the bank is expected to be sold.
