Key facts
- Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky fired Iryna Mudra, his deputy chief of staff.
- Mudra is facing charges from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) related to a corruption scheme.
- The scheme allegedly involves laundering Hr 150 million ($3.4 million) for bail and influencing oversight boards.
- Sense Bank is implicated as a channel for fund transfers and potential circumvention of financial monitoring.
- Mudra was allegedly tasked with arranging bail funds and bringing Sense Bank under presidential office control.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired Iryna Mudra, his deputy chief of staff, following a corruption probe by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU). The investigation centers on allegations of money laundering and influencing state institutions.
Mudra is accused of involvement in a scheme to launder Hr 150 million ($3.4 million) posted as bail for a suspect in the "Midas" operation, which is linked to the Energoatom corruption case. Investigators allege that Mudra was expected to arrange the raising of these funds and also tasked with bringing Sense Bank under the control of the President's Office.
Audio tapes released by NABU suggest Mudra discussed influencing the selection of the bureau's civic oversight board and replacing the Chief Anti-Corruption Prosecutor. The tapes also indicate discussions about providing political cover for Sense Bank and taking over its control.
The investigation also involves Vadym Stolar, a member of parliament, and searches were conducted at Sense Bank, which is alleged to have been used as a channel for transferring funds and circumventing financial monitoring requirements. Maksym Mykytas, a former member of parliament, is also a target of the searches.
This probe follows previous anti-corruption efforts during Zelensky's tenure, including investigations into state nuclear power monopoly Energoatom and charges against former Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak and former Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna.