Mudra taken into custody: court set bail 7.5 times lower than SAP requested
The High Anti-Corruption Court imposed a pre-trial restraint on former deputy head of the President's Office Iryna Mudra in the form of detention for 60 days. She will be able to be released from custody if she posts bail of 20 million UAH.
The court announced its decision on 25 August after several days of consideration of the prosecution's motion. The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office also requested detention, but instead insisted on a much higher alternative bail of 150 million UAH. Thus, HACC set bail 7.5 times lower than SAP requested.
The day before, the prosecutor justified the proposed bail amount, in particular, by Mudra's financial condition. According to the prosecution's assessment, the total value of assets she may own is about 252 million UAH. This is an estimate by the investigation, not a court-established fact.
During closing arguments on 25 August, Mudra stated that she considers the suspicion unfounded and asked the court not to grant the prosecution's motion. If a different decision were made, she requested a pre-trial restraint not involving detention.
The ex-official also denied the risk of her flight. According to her, she last crossed the state border on 14 August and voluntarily returned to Ukraine. Mudra emphasized that her family, life and professional activities are connected with Ukraine.
Separately, she commented on recordings of conversations with former MP and developer Maksym Mykytas, which appear in the investigation materials. According to Mudra, 232 of 237 conversations were recorded through Mykytas' microphone, whom she trusted.
Mudra also categorically denied receiving $4 million from Mykytas – in cash, to an account or in any other form. Earlier, the prosecution referred to a recording of a conversation in which, according to the investigation, Mykytas told Mudra that he allegedly "left" $4 million for her.
Mudra is a suspect in a large-scale NABU and SAP case regarding an alleged criminal organization which, according to the investigation, included current and former MPs, officials of the President's Office and others. Investigators claim the group's activities involved raider seizure of assets and money laundering.
According to NABU, one of the episodes involves 150 million UAH in cash, which was allegedly placed into legal circulation through accounts of shell companies to pay bail for one of the participants of the criminal organization in the "Midas" case. On 19 August, NABU and SAP notified participants and individuals of suspicion under several articles of the Criminal Code. The investigation is ongoing, and the guilt of the suspects can only be established by a court conviction.
Sources: The Centre for Combating Corruption, broadcast of the HACC hearing, NABU
