Banks block bail payments for Stolar and Mudra in high-profile corruption probe

The sources told ZN.UA that Stolar has the necessary funds and is ready to pay the full amount, but banks are refusing to process the transactions. The rejections are coming from internal compliance departments, which have flagged the money intended for the High Anti-Corruption Court's (HACC) bail account as high-risk.

In response to the standoff, some banks have gone a step further and terminated their service agreements with Stolar completely. Sources added that the lawmaker has proposed an alternative to prosecutors, offering to allow the state to seize 300 million hryvnias ($6.7 million) worth of his private assets – the exact amount of his court-ordered bail.

Banking officials told the publication that the National Bank of Ukraine explicitly advised them against processing any payments related to bail in these specific cases.

Because of the banking block, prosecutors have not yet petitioned the court to place Stolar under arrest. Stolar himself confirmed that banks are actively blocking all transactions related to his bail.

“If prosecutors take this to court, Stolar will present documentation proving he tried to pay but banks refused to process the transactions or closed his accounts altogether. Under these circumstances, the court will not order him detained,” the source said.

Iryna Mudra faces a similar standoff. Her bail was set at 20 million hryvnias ($446,750), and while she managed to pay 5 million ($111,680) of that amount herself, banks blocked her husband's attempts to transfer the remaining balance.

Operation Forrest Gump

NABU and SAPO launched operation ‘Forrest Gump’ on August 19, a sweeping corruption probe aimed at dismantling a criminal network allegedly tied to current and former lawmakers, Presidential Office officials, and other top figures.

The list of suspects included former Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Mudra, ex-lawmaker Maksym Mykytas, and lawmaker from the former Opposition Platform - For Life party Vadym Stolar.

The court ordered pre-trial detention with a bail option for Valentyn Yelizarov, former lawmaker Maksym Mykytas, and Viktor Dubovyk, the director general for legal affairs at the President's Office, following a ruling on August 21. The HACC similarly ordered the arrest of Iryna Mudra the following day, setting her bail at 20 million hryvnias ($446,750).