The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has ordered Yelyzaveta Ivakhnenko, a suspect in the "Carthage" case, held in custody with an alternative bail option of UAH 20 million.
An HACC investigating judge announced the ruling on Monday.
"To apply to suspect Yelyzaveta Ivakhnenko a pretrial restriction in the form of detention… through Nov 2, 2026, setting bail for the suspect… at UAH 20 million," the court's ruling states.
During the hearing, a SAPO prosecutor sought detention for Ivakhnenko with a possible bail option of UAH 50 million.
The suspect said she knew nothing about "any criminal organization" and denied any involvement in the actions she is accused of.
Ivakhnenko acknowledged knowing Serhiy Kropyva, deputy head of the Prosecutor General's Office's International Cooperation Department and a key suspect in the case, but did not specify the nature of their relationship.
According to the suspect, she was detained in Lviv near the railway station. She told the court she was "going on vacation."
The prosecutor also said a photograph of a safe with money is directly linked to the anti-corruption bodies' operation. "This money relates to the 'Carthage' operation," the prosecutor said.
As previously reported, Ivakhnenko appears in the case materials under the codename "Muza" and is Kropyva's live-in partner.
NABU and SAPO exposed five members of a criminal organization headed by an Office of the Prosecutor General official, who systematically received illicit benefits for covering up a network of fraudulent call centers and laundered more than UAH 42 million through property purchases, including apartments in the Carpathians, jewelry, and funds placed in relatives' accounts. The Prosecutor General's Office said it intends to support the investigation and announced plans to suspend the official named in the case from his duties.
On Sunday, Sept 6, a court ordered Kropyva held in custody with the option of posting bail of UAH 120 million. The pretrial restriction is valid through Nov 2, 2026.
