Ukraine court detains Serhii Kropyva, sets $2.7 million bail in Carthage case
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Serhii Kropyva is suspected of “shielding” illegal call centers and laundering assets worth more than 89 million hryvnias. (Photo: Suspilne via Telegram)
The High Anti-Corruption Court ordered Serhii
Kropyva, deputy head of the Prosecutor General’s Office Department of
International Cooperation, held in custody until Nov. 2, with bail set at 120
million hryvnias (about $2.7 million).
Suspilne
reported the ruling, citing its correspondent in the courtroom.
Kropyva is suspected of “shielding” illegal call centers and
laundering assets worth more than 89 million hryvnias (about $2 million). His lawyers said they
would appeal the court’s decision.
NABU’s Operation Carthage
On Sept. 4, NABU announced a special operation targeting a
criminal organization that it said was led by an employee of the Prosecutor
General’s Office. Ukrainska Pravda sources said NABU
and SAPO detained Serhii Kropyva, head of the Prosecutor General’s Office
cyber department. NABU and SAPO said the Prosecutor General’s Office official may
have been involved in “shielding” a network of fraudulent call centers and
laundering assets.
The Prosecutor General’s Office later said it was ready to
fully cooperate with anti-corruption authorities investigating the possible
involvement of one of its employees in illegal activity linked to fraudulent
call centers.
Ukrainska Pravda, citing sources, reported that NABU and
SAPO conducted searches involving Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, his
deputy Mariia Vdovychenko and Odesa Oblast Military Administration head Oleh
Kiper.
NABU said five people had been implicated in proceedings
under Article 255 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, covering the creation or
leadership of a criminal organization and participation in one, and Article
209, covering the legalization, or laundering, of assets. Those convicted face
up to 15 years in prison.
On Sept. 5, the Prosecutor General’s Office said
that “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 departments of the Prosecutor General’s
Office.”
The office also said the court order regarding the searches
at the Prosecutor General’s Office contained no information that Kravchenko had
instructed anyone to facilitate the operation of call centers, obstructed their
exposure or investigation, warned anyone about planned investigative actions,
received money from such activity or any improper benefit, or used criminal
proceeds to pay for renovations, the installation of a security system or other
services.
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