NABU files suspicion against businessman and former MP in the 'Forrest Gump' case: raiding worth 248 million hryvnias

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), together with the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP), has expanded the circle of suspects in the high-profile case of a criminal organization, known in the investigation as Operation "Forrest Gump." According to RBC-Ukraine, citing a NABU statement, a prominent businessman and former member of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council of the VII convocation has been placed under suspicion. According to the investigation, current and former Members of Parliament of Ukraine — the leaders of the organization — drew him into illegal activity, deliberately exploiting his informal connections and influence in the judicial sphere.

The businessman's role in the judicial sphere

The investigation believes that the suspect ensured that judges of the commercial courts issued rulings in favor of companies and individuals linked to the criminal organization. Thus, the businessman's informal influence within the judicial system, according to NABU, was used as a tool to protect the interests of companies controlled by the organization's structures and to launder the proceeds of their activities. The involvement of such a figure indicates that the investigation is going beyond the narrow circle of direct perpetrators and is touching on the "protective" mechanisms of the criminal scheme.

Raiding and money laundering

With the suspect's involvement, the investigation claims, a raiding takeover of two enterprises with assets worth 248 million hryvnias was carried out. In addition, according to NABU, the businessman facilitated the laundering of funds obtained through criminal means for their subsequent deposit as bail for one of the members of another criminal organization — in the so-called "Midas" case. In this way, the suspect links two highly publicized corruption cases, broadening the overall picture of the investigation.

Context: bail and financial monitoring

Against this backdrop, it was previously reported that the full bail amount of 150 million hryvnias was paid for former Energy Minister Hryhoriy Halushchenko. The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) also detained Maksym Mykytasiy, a suspect in the "Forrest Gump" case, with the possibility of posting bail of 30 million hryvnias. In parallel, the National Bank is investigating whether financial institutions complied with financial monitoring requirements when servicing individuals who transferred funds to the HACC account, indicating a parallel review of the financial side of the case.

Timeline of Operation "Forrest Gump"

Recall that on August 19, NABU published a fragment of a recording made during operational surveillance of participants in the corruption scheme. It was this investigation that received the telling name — Operation "Forrest Gump." The current filing of suspicion against the businessman is the latest stage in expanding the list of suspects in the case and confirms that the investigation is in an active phase, systematically bringing into the process the individuals who provided "cover" and laundering in the judicial and financial spheres.