’Carthage’ case: ’Muse’ Ivakhnenko remains in custody
The Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court has remanded Yelyzaveta Ivakhnenko (Muse), a defendant in the ‘Carthage’ operation, in custody with an alternative bail set at 20 million hryvnias.
This was reported by Censor.NET.
Details
Ivakhnenko’s defence team asked the court to revoke her detention and impose a preventive measure in the form of a personal undertaking or house arrest with an electronic tag, and to reduce the amount of bail.
According to the lawyer, there are also doubts as to whether the amount of bail set is proportionate to Ivakhnenko’s financial circumstances.
During her statement, Ivakhnenko said that her income had been declared; she had worked at a university and for an international foundation, and had also been involved in business activities.
According to the suspect, between 2020 and 2025 she received 3,388,000 hryvnias from business partners, whilst as a sole trader in 2025 her income amounted to approximately 7 million hryvnias.
Ivakhnenko stated that she provided legal and consultancy services, as well as carrying out website audits.
The suspect confirmed that she owns non-residential premises worth around 7 million hryvnias.
She also denied having any knowledge of the alleged criminal organisation and does not consider herself guilty.
At the same time, the prosecutor stated during the hearing that Ivakhnenko had taken steps to obstruct the proceedings. Specifically, this involved concealing her assets and deleting photos from social media showing her in Madrid.
What was the court’s decision?
The panel upheld the ruling of the court of first instance. Consequently, Ivakhnenko will remain in custody, with the alternative of posting bail of 20 million hryvnias.
Operation "Carthage"
- 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 the evening of 7 September, Kravchenko resigned from his post as Prosecutor General.
- Following him, Deputy Prosecutor General Mariia Vdovychenko, who is implicated in the anti-corruption bodies’ investigation, also resigned from the Prosecutor General’s Office.
