NABU and the SAPO have issued a new suspicion notice in the ‘Forrest Gump’ and ‘Themis’ cases. It concerns a former deputy of the 7th convocation of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council.
According to the investigation, the leaders of the criminal organisation — a current and a former MP (Vadym Stolar and Maksym Mykytas) — involved the suspect in unlawful activity in order to use his connections and influence in the judicial sphere. This was reported by the NABU press service.
Investigators say the suspect ensured that judges of commercial courts delivered rulings in favour of companies or individuals linked to the criminal organisation.
“In particular, with the suspect’s involvement, there was a raider takeover of two enterprises with assets worth UAH 248 million,” the statement says.
Also, according to the anti-corruption agencies, he facilitated the laundering of criminal proceeds so they could later be posted as bail for one of the members of another criminal organisation — in the ‘Midas’ case.
The suspect’s actions were classified under the following articles: Part 2 of Article 255 (Creation and leadership of a criminal community or criminal organisation, as well as participation in it), Part 4 of Article 28 (commission of a criminal offence by a group of persons), Parts 2 and 3 of Article 206-2 (Unlawful seizure of the property of an enterprise, institution or organisation), Part 4 of Article 28 and Part 3 of Article 209 (Legalisation (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
‘Forrest Gump’ and ‘Themis’
Deputy Head of the President’s Office Iryna Mudra, former MP Maksym Mykytas, current MP Vadym Stolar and ten other people are suspected of participating in a criminal group engaged in raiding and of arranging the posting of UAH 150 million obtained illegally as bail for a suspect in the ‘Midas’ case — former minister Herman Halushchenko.
NABU and the SAPO reported the exposure of a criminal organisation led by a former and a current MP and involving Deputy Head of the President’s Office Iryna Mudra on 19 August. According to the investigation, they arranged the posting of bail of 150 million hryvnias for Herman Halushchenko, suspected of participating in a criminal organisation which investigators believe was led by Tymur Mindich, as well as of laundering funds. Halushchenko had been held in custody with an alternative of bail set at 200 million hryvnias since 17 February. Later, his bail was reduced to 150 million hryvnias. It is these funds, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau believes, that the Mykytas–Stolar criminal organisation accumulated and channelled through the state-owned Sense Bank without financial monitoring in June this year, after which Halushchenko was released from custody.
The same Mykytas–Stolar organisation, with the involvement of Iryna Mudra, according to NABU, was engaged in raider takeovers of businesses and the illegal re-registration of their 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 SAPO said the suspicion notices were issued under the following articles: 255 (Creation and leadership of a criminal community or criminal organisation, as well as participation in it), 191 (Misappropriation, embezzlement or seizure of property 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 systems, information and communications systems, electronic communications networks) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
List of suspects:
- Vadym Stolar, who, according to journalists, is abroad;
- Maksym Mykytas;
- Iryna Mudra;
- Deputy Minister of Justice Olena Ferens;
- Director General of the Directorate for Legal Policy of the President’s Office Viktor Dubovyk;
- businessman and former deputy of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council Vasyl Astion;
- former chairmen of the management board of the state-owned Sense Bank Mykola Hladyshenko and Oleh Stupak;
- head of a bank department Liudmyla Snihur;
- suspected individuals believed to be linked to Mykytas: Yehor Merkulov, Oleksandr Ostapenko and Mykyta Tarkovskyi. The investigation also places Valentyn Yelizarov in this category.