Part of the bail for former Deputy Head of the Office of the President Iryna Mudra has been paid, her lawyer told Suspilne. He did not name the exact amount that was paid. There were several sureties.
On 25 August, the High Anti-Corruption Court ordered Iryna Mudra to be held in custody with the option of bail set at 20 million hryvnyas. The Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office sought custody and bail of 150 million, while Iryna Mudra and her lawyers asked the court to refuse to impose a preventive measure or to choose one not involving detention.
Commenting on the court’s decision to journalists, Mudra said she had part of the money herself and expected to receive the rest from friends and acquaintances.
What is Iryna Mudra suspected of?
On 19 August, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced a special operation dubbed “Forrest Gump”, during which they exposed a criminal group that arranged for bail to be paid for former minister Herman Halushchenko using illegally obtained funds. The scheme was organised using the state-owned Sense Bank. In total, 13 people are suspected of involvement in the group, and investigators consider its organisers to be two MPs: the current one, Vadym Stolar, and the former one, Maksym Mykytas.
According to investigators, Iryna Mudra was a member of the group. She told the court that, in her view, it was Mykytas who recorded conversations with her in which he discussed criminal intentions and actions.
In addition to money laundering, the group is suspected of raider takeovers of companies’ real estate. This case was dubbed “Themis”. The investigation found that members of the organisation used hackers’ services to carry out illegal interference in registers and re-registrations, bribed judges and put pressure on the Ministry of Justice.
The Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said the suspicions were announced under the following articles: 255 (Creation or leadership of a criminal community or criminal organisation, as well as participation in it), 191 (Misappropriation, embezzlement of property or taking possession of it through abuse of office), 206-2 (Unlawful seizure of the property of an enterprise, institution or organisation), 209 (Legalisation (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means), 358 (Forgery of documents, seals, stamps and forms; sale or use of forged documents, seals and stamps), 361 (Unauthorised interference with the operation of information (automated) systems, electronic communications, information and communications systems, and electronic communications networks) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Maksym Mykytas was given a preventive measure in the form of detention with the option of bail set at 30 million hryvnias. For Iryna Mudra, the prosecution sought bail of 150 million hryvnias. This is the same amount as for Herman Halushchenko, whom she is suspected of helping with bail.
Stolar, according to journalists, is abroad.