SAPO prosecutor asks to place Sense Bank board chairman Stupak in custody with alternative bail of UAH 150 mln
A prosecutor from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) is asking that a preventive measure of detention be chosen for Oleksiy Stupak, chairman of the board of state-owned Sense Bank, with an alternative of UAH 150 million bail.
Sense Bank has appointed a new independent board member, Peter Novak, following accusations from anti-corruption investigators that former CEO Oleksiy Stupak and former supervisory board chairman Mykola Hladyschenko assisted in laundering illicit funds through the bank. Mr. Novak, with over 25 years of experience in IT and banking, replaced Hladyschenko on August 24, following Hladyschenko's dismissal by the government on August 21 due to suspected involvement in the scheme.
The bank stated that Novak's international banking expertise will enhance the Supervisory Board and aid its development for privatization. The suspects in the investigation are accused of laundering 150 million hryvnias ($3.4 million) and transferring funds to bail former Justice and Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko. President Zelensky's former deputy chief of staff, Iryna Mudra, is among the highest-ranking suspects.
The scandal has led the Finance Ministry to accelerate the sale of Sense Bank, which was nationalized in 2023. Currently, the bank's supervisory board lacks the required number of members to function, with only four members listed. Mudra was recently placed in custody and has denied any wrongdoing.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Sense Bank appoints new board member after corruption probe kyivindependent.com
