Mykytas could have paid 10 million hryvnias in single instalment for Mudra’s daughter’s education in New York, - SAPO
The Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) suspects that former MP Maksym Mykytas may have covered the costs of a two-year course for the daughter of Iryna Mudra, the former deputy head of the Office of the President, at an educational institution in New York.
This is stated in the prosecution’s appeal against the preventive measure imposed on Mykytas, the text of which was read out during the hearing by a judge of the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court, reports Censor.NET, citing Ukrinform.
10 million hryvnias for education and currency transfers: what is the SAPO presenting to the court?
"The suspect has considerable wealth. Mykytas transferred to Mudra’s mother… (a certain amount – ed.) thousand shekels (approximately 560,000 hryvnias) with a promise to transfer similar sums every six months in the future. Mykytas had the means to financially cover two years of Mudra’s daughter’s education and living expenses in New York – in a single payment, amounting to (in hryvnia equivalent – ed.) … over 10 million hryvnias," stated the judge, reading out the prosecutor’s application.
This document also states that, allegedly, in particular, "a discussion between Mykytas and Dubovyk (on the issue – Ed.) regarding the possibility of kidnapping a person was recorded". The motion did not specify which person exactly.
The prosecution insists that the bail amount set by the investigating judge of first instance is insufficient to prevent the risks demonstrated by the prosecution and to ensure that the defendant fulfils the obligations imposed on him. The prosecutor considers that bail for Mykytas should be set at 200 million hryvnias (in conjunction with detention – Ed.).
The defence, however, argues that the bail amount previously set by the High Anti-Corruption Court is manifestly excessive for Mykytas, given his actual lack of such funds (on his part – ed.) and the existence of legal obstacles to posting bail in this amount.
The defence’s position: the funds were not transferred, and the bail is excessive
During his statement, the lawyer noted that his client "did not utter a single word (about this – Ed.) to suggest that he envisages a scenario in which he would abscond from the pre-trial investigation authorities and the court".
"As for the 250,000 dollars (which Mykytas allegedly had the means to pay for Mudra’s daughter’s education – Ed.), the prosecutor does not state that he (Mykytas – Ed.) provided it; he merely expressed a willingness to provide it. But he did not provide it – that is, these funds were not received and she is not studying at the institutions referred to in the National Security and Defence Council’s report," said the lawyer.
Operation ‘Forrest Gump’
- It was previously reported that NABU and the SAPO are conducting a special operation to expose a criminal group involving MPs and senior officials from the Office of the President.
- According to media reports, as part of the announced special operation, NABU and the SAP are carrying out searches at the home of Iryna Mudra, deputy head of the Office of the President.
- In addition, NABU detectives carried out searches at the home of Hladyshenko, the chairman of the supervisory board of ‘SENS Bank’.
- Vadym Stolar, a Member of Parliament from the ‘Opposition Platform – For Life’ party, which has been banned by the court, confirmed that NABU and the SAPO are conducting searches at his premises as part of the ‘Forest Gump’ special operation.
- NABU later stated that the case involved 150 million hryvnias in cash which, according to the investigation, had been channelled into the legal system via a series of accounts held by front companies to pay bail for one of the defendants in the ‘Midas’ case.
- Subsequently, the former deputy head of the Presidential Office, Iryna Mudra, confirmed that her premises were searched on 19 August; she was informed of the charges against her and served with a request for a preventive measure, but was not detained. She is preparing for the court hearing.
- On 20 August, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) released new recordings of conversations involving those implicated in the ‘Forest Gump’ case — the second part of the investigation entitled ‘Themis’. This concerns a scheme involving the hostile takeover of property and other assets through unauthorised interference with the Ministry of Justice’s information (automated) networks.
- On 20 August, a prosecutor from the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) named all the individuals implicated in NABU’s ‘Forest Gump’ and ‘Themis’ operations.
- On 21 August, the High Anti-Corruption Court imposed a preventive measure on former MP Maksym Mykytas in the form of detention, subject to the payment of 30 million hryvnias in bail.
- On 25 August, Iryna Mudra was remanded in custody with the option of posting bail of 20 million hryvnias.
