Updated: Investigators release new tapes implicating top Zelensky staffer in corporate raiding

Key Points:

• The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) released tapes implicating high-ranking officials, including former presidential Deputy Chief of Staff Iryna Mudra, lawmaker Vadym Stolar, and former lawmaker Maksym Mykytas, in a corporate raiding scheme involving illegal seizures of valuable real estate and corporate assets.
• The suspects allegedly used hackers to access and forge documents in the legal entities register, bribed judges and law enforcement officials, and manipulated court decisions to take control of businesses, with assets seized valued at over Hr 248 million.
• The scheme reportedly involved payments to prosecutors and court officials to maintain asset freezes and influence judicial outcomes, with discussions in the tapes revealing bribery amounts ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 for court orders.
• The investigation also names other officials and businessmen linked to the case, including Viktor Dubovyk, Deputy Justice Minister Olena Ferens, and Sense Bank executives, highlighting a broad network involved in the alleged corruption.
• Mudra was charged with money laundering and dismissed from her post, while Mykytas faces multiple charges and a court hearing for pretrial detention with bail set at Hr 200 million; Stolar has denied wrongdoing despite past allegations related to controversial construction projects and fraud.