Carthage case: Court orders Serhii Kropyva’s driver held over alleged role in criminal organization
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The Supreme Court of Ukraine has chosen a preventive measure for Serhii Kutsyi (Photo: Suspilne News)
Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court ordered Serhii Kutsyi, a suspect in the Carthage case and driver for Prosecutor General’s Office official Serhii Kropyva, held until Nov. 3 with the option of 3 million hryvnias bail.
According to a journalist in the courtroom, the prosecutor requested that Kutsyi be held in custody or granted bail of 20 million hryvnias.
Investigators suspect Kutsyi of participating in a criminal organization and laundering property obtained through criminal activity.
Prosecutors allege that the driver received illicit proceeds from fraudulent call centers. They cited phone conversations that they say may indicate Kutsyi regularly received money and transferred it to other individuals, after which the funds were deposited into accounts belonging to sole proprietors. The defense, however, maintains that there is no evidence that Kutsyi protected call centers or received illicit funds.
On Sept. 7, the High Anti-Corruption Court ordered Yelyzaveta Ivakhnenko, a suspect in the Carthage case referred to as "Muza," held in custody for 60 days with bail set at 20 million hryvnias.
The previous day, the court ordered Serhii Kropyva, deputy head of the International Cooperation Department at the Prosecutor General's Office and Muza's partner, held in custody until Nov. 2 with bail set at 120 million hryvnias. Kropyva is suspected of protecting illegal call centers and laundering more than 89 million hryvnias in assets. His lawyers said they would appeal the court's decision.
NABU's Operation Carthage
On Sept. 4, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, or NABU, announced a special operation targeting an alleged criminal organization headed by an employee of the Prosecutor General's Office. Citing sources, Ukrainska Pravda reported that NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, or SAPO, detained Serhii Kropyva, head of the Prosecutor General's Office cyber department. NABU and SAPO said the official may have been involved in protecting a network of fraudulent call centers and laundering assets.
The Prosecutor General's Office later said it was prepared to fully cooperate with anti-corruption agencies investigating the possible involvement of one of its employees in illegal activities linked to fraudulent call centers.
Citing sources, Ukrainska Pravda reported that NABU and SAPO conducted searches involving Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, his deputy Mariia Vdovychenko and Odesa regional Gov. Oleh Kiper.
NABU said five people had been implicated in proceedings under Article 255 of Ukraine's Criminal Code, covering the creation and leadership of a criminal organization and participation in one, and Article 209, covering money laundering. Those convicted face up to 15 years in prison.
On Sept. 5, the Prosecutor General's Office said that "at around midnight, NABU detectives nevertheless conducted investigative actions in offices used by the prosecutor general, the first deputy prosecutor general, as well as other employees and structural units of the Prosecutor General's Office."
The office also said the court order authorizing the searches contained no information indicating that Kravchenko had instructed anyone to facilitate the activities of call centers, obstructed efforts to uncover or investigate them, warned anyone about planned investigative actions, received money from such activities or accepted improper benefits, or used proceeds of crime to pay for renovations, security systems or other services. Kravchenko himself denied any involvement in the Carthage case.
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