Key facts
- Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's President's Office, is reportedly featured in audio tapes linked to a corruption investigation.
- The tapes were cited in court materials by media outlet Hromadske.
- The investigation involves former Deputy Chief of Staff Iryna Mudra and others charged with corporate raiding and money laundering.
- Budanov allegedly discussed corruption with Mudra, suggesting it should be "systematized and controlled."
- Mudra and Mykytas are accused of laundering Hr 150 million to post bail for former minister Herman Halushchenko.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's President's Office, has reportedly been implicated in a large-scale corruption investigation through audio tapes recorded by investigators. Media outlet Hromadske reported on August 26, citing court materials, that Budanov features in these tapes as part of a probe against former Deputy Chief of Staff Iryna Mudra and other suspects.
Mudra and others were recently charged by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) with corporate raiding and money laundering. This latest case is connected to a previous investigation into state nuclear power monopoly Energoatom and follows corruption charges against former Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak in May.
During a court hearing, a lawyer for Sense Bank CEO Oleksiy Stupak, a suspect, cited NABU tapes referring to "Kyrylo Oleksiyovich," whose name and patronymic match Budanov's. Transcripts included in prosecutors' motions explicitly state Budanov's participation in conversations, including thanking suspect Maksym Mykytas. Mudra is heard on the tapes referring to Budanov as her "boss."
Alleged transcripts suggest Budanov advised against meeting at restaurants that were under NABU surveillance. In one exchange, Mudra discussed fighting corruption with Budanov, who reportedly responded that corruption "needs to be systematized and controlled."
Apart from Mudra, Mykytas, and Stupak, lawmaker Vadym Stolar and Viktor Dubovyk, head of the legal policy department at the President's Office, were also charged. Stolar has reportedly fled abroad. Mudra, Stolar, and Myktytas are accused of illegally seizing real estate. Additionally, Mudra and Mykytas face accusations of laundering Hr 150 million ($3.4 million) to post bail for former Justice and Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.