Operation "Carthage": court remands confidant of Prosecutor General’s Office official Kropyva in custody with UAH 15 million bail option
The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has remanded another member of the criminal organization – a confidant of the Chancellor – in custody.
Censor.NET reports, citing the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
According to the report, a HACC investigating judge partially granted a motion filed by National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) detectives and approved by a SAPO prosecutor, ordering the detention of a lawyer who is a confidant of the leader of the criminal organization, with the option of posting UAH 15 million in bail.
The preventive measure will remain in effect until November 2, 2026.
If bail is posted, the suspect will be subject to the relevant procedural obligations.
Background
- Earlier, Ukrainska Pravda, citing its own sources, reported that NABU and SAPO were allegedly conducting searches targeting Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, his deputy Mariia Vdovychenko, and Head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration (RMA) Oleh Kiper.
- On 4 September, NABU and SAPO reported the alleged "protection" by the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) of a network of so-called call centers that defraud people.
- According to media reports, NABU and SAPO detained Serhii Kropyva, deputy head of the PGO’s Department of International Legal Cooperation.
- Before taking up his current position at the PGO, Kropyva served as deputy head of the Odesa Regional State Administration on Oleh Kiper’s team.
- Against this backdrop, NABU announced a new operation called "Carthage."
- The Prosecutor General’s Office stated that it would suspend the employee whose possible involvement in "protecting a network" of fraudulent call centers and laundering assets is being investigated.
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According to updated information, NABU and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) uncovered a criminal organisation whose members systematically received bribes from fraudulent call centres and laundered millions. The organiser of the scheme was identified as the head of one of the Prosecutor General’s Office divisions.
- Recordings of the criminal group of Prosecutor General’s Office employees were also released.
- The Prosecutor General’s Office later confirmed searches at the premises of Prosecutor General Kravchenko and his deputy.
- The High Anti-Corruption Court imposed a pretrial restraint measure on Prosecutor General’s Office official Kropyva.
- On September 7, Ivakhnenko was remanded in custody with bail set at UAH 20 million.
- On September 7, HACC also remanded Serhii Kutsyi, the driver of Prosecutor General’s Office official Serhii Kropyva, in custody with bail set at UAH 3 million.
