$72,000 bail set for MP charged with bribery
The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has set a UAH 3 million bail ($72,358) for Mykola Zadorozhnyi, a Ukrainian MP charged with bribery earlier this week, public broadcaster Suspilne reported on July 17.
According to the ruling, Zadorozhnyi must deposit the money within five days and provide a receipt to the prosecutor. Additionally, he is required to appear before investigators, prosecutors, the presiding judge, and the court upon request, remain in Kyiv, avoid contact with witnesses, and wear an electronic bracelet.
In court, Zadorozhnyi stated that he could only provide the funds disclosed in his tax declaration, assuring he is not a flight risk.
“I have no other funds, and the involvement of external financing, given my position [as an MP], could have negative consequences,” he said.
On July 15, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) charged Zadorozhnyi with bribery, alleging that he demanded a $92,000 bribe in exchange for facilitating an infrastructure project in Sumy Oblast.
On July 17, the ruling Servant of the People party announced Zadorozhnyi’s expulsion.
Afterwards, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, an MP representing the Holos party, said that Zadorozhnyi had not been expelled from the Servant of the People. He published footage from the parliament, which showed that Zadorozhnyi’s party affiliation remains unchanged on the displays in the chamber.
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