Key facts
- Kyrylo Budanov, head of the President's Office, is identified as the organizer of a money laundering scheme, according to leaked charges.
- The scheme allegedly involved converting illicit cash into legitimate funds to pay bail for former Energy and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko.
- Iryna Mudra, deputy to Budanov, is accused of arranging the cash conversion and transfer for bail payments.
- Timur Mindich, allegedly the ringleader of the Energoatom scheme, is said to have approached a President's Office official for help with Halushchenko's bail.
- Sense Bank officials allegedly operated under the informal control of the President's Office official and Mudra.
- Mudra and Mykytas allegedly pressured Deputy Justice Minister Olena Ferens and initiated the dismissal of Ihor Ponochovnyi, head of the Justice Ministry's Anti-Raiding Office.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the President's Office, is allegedly the organizer of a money laundering scheme aimed at paying bail for former Energy and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko, according to leaked charges published by Bihus.info on Sept. 15. The leaked text, which does not name Budanov, describes an official of the President's Office and Mudra's boss who Mudra sought to gain favor with. Mudra has only one such superior: Budanov.
In August, Mudra, lawmaker Maksym Mykytas, and Viktor Dubovyk, head of the legal policy department at the President's Office, were charged with laundering Hr 150 million ($3.4 million) to post bail for Halushchenko. Halushchenko himself was charged in February as part of an investigation into state nuclear power monopoly Energoatom.
According to the leaked charges, Mudra was approached on June 9, 2026, by a President's Office official to arrange the laundering of cash obtained through criminal means. The funds were to be converted into legitimate non-cash assets and transferred to the High Anti-Corruption Court as bail for Halushchenko. Mudra allegedly agreed to the proposal, being administratively and financially dependent on the President's Office official.
Between June 1 and June 8, Timur Mindich, allegedly the ringleader of the Energoatom scheme, reportedly asked a President's Office official to help secure Halushchenko's release by arranging for bail to be paid using funds under the official's control. A prosecutor also stated at a court hearing on Aug. 25 that a "member of the criminal group" in Israel, believed to be Mindich, had transferred cash to Mudra for the bail.
In June, Mykytas reportedly stated that Mindich had personally delivered cash for Halushchenko's bail to "Kyrylo Oleksiyovich," an apparent reference to Budanov. Transcripts also suggest Sense Bank management was prepared to follow instructions from "Kyrylo" regarding the money.
Following a meeting on June 10 with Sense Bank CEO Oleksiy Stupak and supervisory board chairman Mykola Hladyshchenko, the bank officials allegedly agreed to operate under the informal control of the President's Office official and Mudra, as their previous overseer, Mindich, was wanted by authorities.
Transcripts also indicate Mindich asked "Kyrylo" to take over Sense Bank in June 2026, citing cash flows and untrustworthy management. In a separate court hearing fragment, Mudra refers to "Kyrylo Oleksiyovich" calling about Sense Bank's status.
In a separate scheme investigated by NABU, Mudra, Mykytas, and lawmaker Vadym Stolar were charged in August with illegally seizing real estate. Mudra was allegedly expected to use her influence with Deputy Justice Minister Olena Ferens to coordinate actions against state registrars. Mudra and Mykytas also reportedly considered pressuring Ferens through threats of dismissal or media exposure. Ihor Ponochovnyi, head of the Justice Ministry’s Anti-Raiding Office, refused to carry out unlawful instructions from Mudra and Mykytas, leading Mudra to initiate his dismissal.