Anti-corruption chief questions source of bail money for 'Midas' suspects
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has submitted a number of requests to the State Financial Monitoring Service, in particular, regarding the origin of funds deposited as bail for the defendants in the Midas case, as it is important to establish whether these funds were obtained through criminal means, notes NABU Director Semen Kryvonos.
"Regarding the origin of bail in the framework of the criminal proceedings on Operation Midas. On November 13, we sent the first request to the Service to investigate the source of the funds for the bail for five suspects. On November 14, we provided an addition, as we learned from the Supreme Anti-Corruption Commission which legal entities deposited bail for certain defendants," Kryvonos said at a meeting of the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Verkhovna Rada, which is being broadcast on the YouTube channel of MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
According to Kryvonos, a number of other requests were sent by November 28. "NABU sent inquiries regarding the legality of the origin of these funds, since the legislation clearly stipulates that funds obtained through criminal means cannot be used to pay the bail," he specified.
"We received a number of responses from the State Financial Monitoring Service…. But I can say now that the origin of the funds from those individuals who deposited the bail and tracking how the funds ended up in the accounts of the companies that deposited the bail have not yet been fully investigated," the NABU director said.
He emphasized: "It is very important now to track whether these funds were obtained as a result of, including, the criminal activities of this back office or related persons, or persons who provide such services for the legalization of funds, including for depositing bail."
Answering Zheleznyak’s question about whether it is possible to say that after the last meeting of the committee the process of working with the Service has accelerated, Kryvonos said: "Of course, we can say that it has."
"We are interested in where the funds came from from these individuals and legal entities (who deposited bail for the defendants in the Midas - IF-U case). This information is not yet available. There is primary information, the bank that deposited it is indicated," the NABU director explained.
Kryvonos also reported that requests to the Service also concerned companies involved in the money laundering scheme and companies directly related to Energoatom’s purchases.
Kryvonos noted that so far the Service has not provided information "for objective reasons." "We are still communicating, clarifying," he added.