Operation Forrest Gump: NABU and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office Have Charged a Former Member of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) have notified a former member of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council (7th convocation) of new charges in connection with the “Forest Gump” and “Themis” criminal cases.
According to the investigation, the leaders of the criminal organization—current Member of Parliament Vadym Stolar and former Member of Parliament Maksym Mykytas—recruited the man into their illegal activities to exploit his connections and influence in the judicial sphere.
The NABU notes that the suspect facilitated the issuance by commercial court judges of rulings in favor of companies and individuals associated with the criminal organization.
“For example, with the suspect’s involvement, a hostile takeover of two companies with assets totaling 248 million hryvnias took place,” the Anti-Corruption Bureau said in a statement.
In addition, according to investigators, the man facilitated the laundering of proceeds obtained through criminal means, which were subsequently used as bail for a member of another criminal organization in the “Midas” case.
The suspect’s actions were classified under Part 2 of Article 255, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 2, 3 of Article 206-2, Part 4 of Article 28, and Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
On August 19, NABU and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) announced the dismantling of a criminal organization which, according to the investigation, is headed by Maksym Mykytas and Vadym Stolar.
More than ten people have been named as suspects in the case, including Deputy Head of the Office of the President Iryna Mudra, Maksym Mykytas, and Vadym Stolar.
According to law enforcement, members of the organization arranged for 150 million hryvnias in bail to be posted for former Minister Herman Halushchenko, who is a suspect in the “Midas” case.
Investigators believe that the 150 million hryvnias, obtained illegally, were accumulated by members of Mykytas and Stolar’s organization and funneled through the state-owned “Sens Bank” without proper financial monitoring. After the bail was posted, Galushchenko was released from custody.
Another area of the organization’s activity involves the hostile takeover of companies and the illegal re-registration of their real estate. This part of the proceedings has been named “Themis.”
According to NABU, members of the organization used the services of hackers to illegally tamper with state registries, bribed judges, and exerted pressure on the Ministry of Justice.
Among the suspects in the cases, according to data provided by NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO):
- Vadym Stolar — a current member of parliament;
- Maksym Mykytas—a former Member of Parliament;
- Iryna Mudra — Deputy Head of the Office of the President;
- Olena Ferens — Deputy Minister of Justice;
- Viktor Dubovyk — Director General of the Directorate for Legal Policy at the Office of the President;
- Vasyl Astion — businessman and former member of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council;
- Mykola Hladyshenko and Oleg Stupak — former chairmen of the board of the state-owned “SENS Bank”;
- Lyudmila Snigur — Head of a Department at the bank;
- Yegor Merkulov, Oleksandr Ostapenko, Mykyta Tarkovsky, and Valentin Yelizarov—individuals whom investigators link to the organization.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) have classified the actions of the individuals involved, depending on the specific charges, under Articles 255, 191, 206-2, 209, 358, and 361 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
At the same time, all of the charges listed represent the position of the prosecution, and the suspects’ guilt must be proven in court.
The full bail amount—7 million hryvnias—was posted for Viktor Dubovyk, Director General of the Directorate for Legal Policy at the Office of the President. Previously, the High Anti-Corruption Court had remanded him in custody with the option of bail in a case related to the “Forest Gump” and “Themis” operations.
Iryna Mudra, the former deputy head of the Office of the President, has been detained. She is currently at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), where investigative proceedings are ongoing.
NABU has published the full transcript of the wiretaps in the “Forest Gump” case.
