On October 22, the High Anti-Corruption Court decided to partially satisfy the motion of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office prosecutor regarding the former Minister of Energy of Ukraine. The court extended the term of the ex-official's procedural duties for two months, but refused to extend the requirement to wear an electronic monitoring device. Thus, the electronic bracelet was removed from the corruption case suspect, although other restrictions remain in effect.
Court Decision and Current Restrictions
During the October 22 session, the HACC investigative judge reviewed the case materials and ruled to extend the set of procedural duties for the former head of the energy department. Despite the removal of the electronic bracelet, the ex-minister is still obliged to comply with a number of strict regulations. In particular, he must appear upon every request before detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, SAP prosecutors, or the court.
In addition, an official ban on traveling outside Kyiv and the Kyiv region without prior permission from the investigation or prosecution remains in effect for the suspect. The ex-official is also obliged to promptly inform law enforcement agencies if his actual place of residence changes. The court did not officially name the suspect in its statements, but the status of the figure has been confirmed by journalistic sources.
Bail Context and SAP Position
The background of the proceedings is connected with a large bail amount posted for the ex-minister in June. At that time, the full amount of 150 million hryvnias was posted for Halushchenko, with part of these funds, according to an investigation by the Schemy project, coming from two private commercial structures. This fact attracted increased attention from anti-corruption bodies.
SAP Head Oleksandr Klymenko previously stated that the agency demands the seizure of the posted 150 million hryvnias due to possible signs of their criminal origin. If the court supports the prosecution's corresponding motion, the former minister could be re-arrested and placed in a pre-trial detention center. Against the backdrop of this incident, SAP also announced its intention to more thoroughly check the origin of bail in corruption cases.
New Fund Verification Procedure and Financial Monitoring
The situation surrounding the origin of the bail for the ex-head of the Ministry of Energy prompted the anti-corruption prosecutor's office to change established approaches. SAP plans to establish operational interaction with the Financial Monitoring Service for the automatic verification of funds posted as security for suspects in corruption crimes.
Now prosecutors intend to apply to financial monitoring immediately upon the posting of large sums, even without the prior registration of separate criminal proceedings on this issue. Such measures are designed to exclude the possibility of using shadow or illegal capital to release defendants in high-profile investigations from custody.
Significance of the Court Decision for the Further Course of the Investigation
The court's refusal to extend the wearing of the electronic bracelet while maintaining the remaining restrictions demonstrates the HACC's balanced approach to preventive measures at this stage of the investigation. Nevertheless, the key factor for the former minister's further fate remains the issue of the legality of the origin of the 150 million hryvnias bail. The outcome of the prosecution's fight for the seizure of these funds will determine whether the suspect remains at liberty during further trial proceedings or returns to custody.
