The defendants in the “Carthage” case appeared in court wearing designer clothes
During the VAKS hearing in the “Carthage” case, attention was drawn not only to the proceedings themselves but also to the clothing worn by those involved. Yelyzaveta Ivakhnenko, referred to as “Musa” in the case files, arrived wearing Saint Laurent and the Ukrainian brand Aura, while Serhiy Kropiva wore an Alo long-sleeve shirt.
Serhiy Kropiva and Yelyzaveta Ivakhnenko, defendants in the “Carthage” case, appeared at the hearing of the High Anti-Corruption Court wearing designer clothing. “Glavkom” drew attention to Ivakhnenko’s outfit. According to the publication, the woman arrived at court wearing a Saint Laurent jacket similar to a model featured on the brand’s official website.
A Saint Laurent “Muse” for over 136,000 hryvnias
Yelyzaveta Ivakhnenko, referred to as “Muse” in the case files, appeared at the hearing in a leather jacket from the French fashion house Saint Laurent. A similar model on the brand’s official website costs 2,650 euros. Converted, that’s over 136,000 hryvnias.
At the same time, it is important to note that this refers specifically to a similar model. The publication compared the items based on photos from the courtroom and images on the brand’s website; however, this does not mean that the cost of Ivakhnenko’s jacket is exactly this amount.
For the VAKS hearing, she also chose a jacket similar to a piece by the Ukrainian brand Aura, designed by Maria Starchak. On the brand’s website, a leather jacket of this model costs 13,600 hryvnias. Thus, just the two items highlighted by the publication could cost over 150,000 hryvnias if they are indeed the specific models in question.
Kropiva Arrived Wearing an Alo Long-Sleeve Shirt
Serhiy Kropiva, deputy head of the Department of International Legal Cooperation at the Office of the Prosecutor General, also attended the court hearing wearing designer clothing. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt from the sports brand Alo.
A similar long-sleeve top on the brand’s official website costs $108, or over 4,000 hryvnias. In other words, this time it wasn’t just the case being heard by the court that drew attention, but also the clothing worn by those involved.
What is known about the “Carthage” case
Serhiy Kropiva and Yelyzaveta Ivakhnenko are suspects in an investigation dubbed “Carthage.” According to investigators, a criminal organization may have been operating within the Office of the Prosecutor General. Law enforcement officials stated that its members allegedly systematically received bribes from fraudulent call centers and laundered the proceeds. According to the NABU and the SAP, the organization may have been established as early as mid-2025. According to investigators, serving prosecutors and other individuals were recruited into it.
Investigators believe that participants in the scheme may have received money from underground call centers in exchange for allowing them to operate unimpeded. According to law enforcement, these call centers defrauded Ukrainians and foreigners. Kropyv was detained by law enforcement as part of this investigation. The court is currently considering a preventive measure for the official. At the same time, the mere fact that a person is named as a suspect in a criminal case does not imply that their guilt has been proven. Only a court can render a final decision on guilt. The High Anti-Corruption Court is currently continuing its review of the case, and attention at the hearing was drawn not only to the prosecution’s allegations but also to the expensive items Kropiva and Ivakhnenko wore to court.
The High Anti-Corruption Court imposed a preventive measure on Yelyzaveta “Muz” Ivakhnenko, who is a suspect in the NABU and SAPO “Carthage” case. The court remanded her in custody with the possibility of posting bail in the amount of 20 million hryvnias.
As a reminder, the suspect, Prosecutor Kropiva, oversaw renovations at the Prosecutor General’s residence in Kozin.
Prosecutor General Kravchenko disappeared after the NABU and SAP operation began. According to sources in political circles speaking to UP, Kravchenko drove into the government quarter, after which no one saw him.
Later, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko was located and stated that he had no connection whatsoever to covering up illegal call centers and had not given any instructions to facilitate their operations.
