Sense Bank Confirms Investigative Actions Following Corruption Probe

Sense Bank confirmed on Wednesday, Aug. 19, that law enforcement officials conducted investigative actions at its head office, following a new anti-corruption operation named “Forrest Gump” which was announced on the same day. Sense bank is tied to sanctioned Russian businessmen Mikhail Fridman, Andrey Kosogov, and Petr Aven.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) claim the operation uncovered a scheme in which participants laundered Hr. 150 million ($3.3 million) through the state-owned bank to post bail for a suspect in a previous probe dubbed “Operation Midas,” Ukrainska Pravda reported. “We are interested in finding out all the circumstances of this situation completely and objectively. Therefore, the bank cooperates with the authorized bodies and provides all the necessary information in the manner prescribed by law,” Sense Bank said in a statement. According to Economic Pravda citing its own sources, NABU conducted searches at the office of the suspended supervisory board chairman, Mykola Hladyshenko. Bank says services remain unaffected The bank said that it would refrain from commenting on the details of the investigative actions, citing legal restrictions. All banking services will continue to work as usual and will be available to customers, the statement read, adding that operational stability remains a priority. Other Topics of Interest Zelensky Sacks Deputy Office Head Iryna Mudra After NABU’s New ‘Forrest Gump’ Probe The anti-graft agencies have pointed fingers at former and sitting lawmakers, as well as top officials from the Presidential Office in a surprise announcement. NABU names deputy presidential head, lawmakers, bank executives According to Ukrainska Pravda the bail was posted for the former energy minister Herman Halushchenko at the end of June. NABU detective Mykhailo Romaniuk described the scheme in a statement posted to the bureau’s YouTube channel, saying that the funds were moved through shell company accounts. Ukrainska Pravda reported that the bail was posted by four companies: Tetras Optima LLC, Hiran Konstrakt LLC, Skait Riteil LLC, and Pelet Servis LLC. Individuals involved in the scheme were served with notices of suspicion under Article 209.3 of the Criminal Code, including former deputy head of the Presidential Office Iryna Mudra, former lawmaker Maksym Mykytas, Vadym Stolar – who belonged to the barred, pro-Russian “Opposition – For Life” party, chair of Sense Bank’s management board Oleh Stupak and Hladyshenko. Investigators said the group gained effective control over Sense Bank’s accounts in early June and drew senior bank management into the scheme. Mudra ousted hours after probe was announced President Volodymyr Zelensky ousted Mudra just hours after the anti-graft agencies announced the probe. Mudra was a lawyer who worked for multiple banks before becoming the deputy justice minister in May 2022. She became the deputy head of the Presidential Office in March 2024 and took part in ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). During the searches, NABU and SAPO also claimed they have uncovered a document containing a crisis communication plan related to the activities of the Ukraine’s parliament, Verkhovna Rada’s temporary investigative commission. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.