Court detains another Carthage case suspect linked to Kropyva
The High Anti-Corruption Court has taken into custody lawyer Oleksandr Dydych, another suspect in the NABU and SAPO operation "Carthage". As an alternative to arrest, the court set bail at 15 million hryvnias.
The decision was made on September 8 by HACC investigating judge Ihor Strohyi. The term of the pre-trial restriction is until November 2, 2026.
According to the investigation, Dydych was a trusted person of Serhiy Kropyva, an employee of the Office of the Prosecutor General, who appears in NABU materials under the pseudonym "Chancellor". In addition, Dydych's wife is Kropyva's sister.
If the 15 million hryvnias bail is posted, the lawyer must surrender his passports for traveling abroad, refrain from communicating with a number of persons determined by the court, and wear an electronic bracelet.
What Dydych is suspected of
Dydych is charged with participation in a criminal organization and money laundering – these are particularly serious crimes.
According to the prosecution, after investigative actions in July in another criminal proceeding, the suspects began discussing how to re-register assets to conceal their actual ownership.
The investigation claims that Kropyva consulted Dydych on legal issues regarding the accounting and re-registration of property. In particular, the lawyer allegedly recommended registering Kropyva's driver Serhiy Kutsyi's wife as a sole proprietor and re-registering apartments in Polyanytsia to her. According to the investigation, Dydych also helped create explanations regarding the origin of funds.
Thus, the investigation believes that one of Dydych's functions was to conceal the actual ownership of assets by re-registering them to other persons.
The day before, Kropyva's driver was arrested
On September 7, the HACC also took into custody Serhiy Kutsyi, Kropyva's driver, who appears as "Comrade" in the published NABU recordings. Bail of 3 million hryvnias was set as an alternative to arrest.
According to the investigation, Kutsyi was part of Kropyva's organization, provided security during his trips and meetings, used unregistered license plates, received money from persons associated with call centers, and passed it on to Kropyva.
Kutsyi is also suspected of participating in asset laundering. The investigation is, in particular, looking into the re-registration of apartments in the Carpathians to persons associated with him.
Kropyva's bail set at 120 million hryvnias
Serhiy Kropyva himself was previously sent into custody by the HACC – until November 2 with the alternative of posting 120 million hryvnias bail. NABU and SAPO consider him the organizer of the scheme.
Another suspect in the case, Yelyzaveta Ivakhnenko, who appears as "Muse" in the recordings, was taken into custody on September 7 with the possibility of posting 20 million hryvnias bail. She denied involvement in the criminal organization.
What is known about the "Carthage" operation
NABU and SAPO announced the exposure of five individuals suspected of creating, leading, or participating in a criminal organization and money laundering.
According to the anti-corruption bodies, the participants of the scheme systematically received unlawful benefits for non-interference in the activities of fraudulent call centers. The funds received, as the investigation claims, were used to purchase real estate, jewelry, and other property worth over 20 million hryvnias.
Over 10 million hryvnias more, according to SAPO, were placed in the accounts of close persons under the guise of business income. Separately, the investigation established the re-registration of real estate, in particular apartments near the Carpathians with a minimum market value of over 12 million hryvnias, to third parties to conceal the actual owner.
All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty by a court verdict.
Based on materials from: Anti-Corruption Action Center, Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office
