Halushchenko may return to remand prison due to origin of UAH 150 million bail - UP

Former Energy and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko may end up in a remand prison again if the UAH 150 million deposited as bail for him is confiscated due to its allegedly criminal origin. This possible development is described by “Ukrainska Pravda” after the publication of materials from the NABU and SAP operation “Forest Gump.”

The NABU stated that the UAH 150 million in cash, which was subsequently used for bail in the “Midas” case, was obtained criminally. According to the investigation, the money was introduced into legal circulation through the accounts of shell companies with the participation of representatives of the state-owned Sense Bank.

This refers to the bail for Halushchenko, which was deposited on June 29. After that, the ex-minister, who had previously been in custody, was released from the remand prison.

“Ukrainska Pravda” notes that establishing the criminal origin of these UAH 150 million could lead to their confiscation in favor of the state.

In that case, according to the publication’s assessment, Halushchenko may soon return to the remand prison, and a new sum of money may be needed for his repeated release on bail.

At the same time, this is currently only an assessment of the possible consequences of the investigation. As of August 21, NABU, SAP or the High Anti-Corruption Court have not publicly reported any decision on the confiscation of Halushchenko’s bail or any new motion to return him to custody.

In June, the court reduced the bail set for Halushchenko from UAH 200 million to UAH 150 million. At the end of the month, the necessary amount was deposited by several private companies.

On August 19, NABU and SAP reported that as part of the “Forest Gump” operation they exposed a group that, according to the investigation, organized the legalization of exactly these UAH 150 million.

Investigators claim that they used controlled enterprises and accounts at Sense Bank for this purpose, and coordinated the transactions with representatives of the bank’s management.

The investigation is ongoing. The origin of the funds and the involvement of specific individuals in their legalization are the investigative theory, and final decisions regarding the bail must be made by the court.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda, NABU