The NBU has started unscheduled inspections of the banks through which the bail for Galushchenko was paid
The National Bank of Ukraine has started unscheduled inspections of other banks that served clients involved in the payment of the UAH 150 million bail for former Minister of Energy and Justice Herman Galushchenko. Earlier, the regulator began similar supervisory measures in the state-owned Sense Bank.
This is stated in the official statement of the NBU Board dated August 27, published after reviewing the report of the Committee on Banking Supervision and Regulation on the regulator's actions regarding Sense Bank in 2022–2026.
The National Bank noted that the inspection is not limited to one financial institution. The regulator will examine the actions of other banks that served companies and individuals involved in operations related to the payment of bail for Galushchenko.
The names of the banks against which new unscheduled inspections have been initiated were not disclosed by the NBU in the statement.
The Sense Bank inspection is already underway
Earlier, the National Bank began unscheduled inspections of Sense Bank following the publication of materials by NABU and SAPO in the case tentatively called “Forrest Gump.”
The regulator intends to establish the circumstances of possible interference with the bank's automated systems, find out whether employees received corresponding instructions from management, and check compliance with legislation in the field of financial monitoring during the conduct of operations.
The NBU emphasized that final conclusions about the operation of Sense Bank's financial monitoring system can only be made after the inspections are completed. Based on the results of the supervisory procedures, the regulator intends to make further decisions within its powers.
At the same time, the NBU Board reviewed the regulator's actions regarding Sense Bank for the period from 2022 to 2026. The National Bank reminded that during this time it conducted inspections of the bank on issues of banking legislation and financial monitoring, and also applied enforcement measures when violations were detected.
In particular, over the past four years, Sense Bank was checked five times on issues of compliance with legislation in the field of financial monitoring. In 2023, a fine of UAH 47.7 million was imposed on the bank, and in 2025 — another UAH 4.1 million.
What is known about the bail for Galushchenko
NABU and SAPO reported in August about the exposure of a criminal organization, whose members are accused, among other things, of money laundering for payment of bail for one of the defendants in the “Midas” case. It concerns former minister Herman Galushchenko, for whom UAH 150 million was paid in June.
According to the investigation, controlled companies and accounts in several banks were used to launder the funds. Anti-corruption agencies claim that some of the operations were carried out through the state-owned Sense Bank.
The investigation is also examining the operation of the bank's financial monitoring system during these operations. In the materials published by NABU, conversations about bypassing automatic control mechanisms appeared. The guilt of specific individuals can only be established by a court.
Against the background of the investigation, the Cabinet of Ministers and the NBU made a number of personnel and supervisory decisions regarding Sense Bank. In particular, the powers of the former head of the supervisory board Mykola Hladychenko were terminated, and the bank dismissed the head of the financial monitoring department.
New inspections of other banks mean that the regulator intends to assess the entire chain of financial operations related to the payment of bail, and not just Sense Bank's actions.
Based on materials: National Bank of Ukraine, NABU
