The High Anti-Corruption Court arrested a representative of Kropiva, the former deputy head of the Odesa Regional State Administration

The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) ordered pretrial detention for Oleksandr Didych, a lawyer and representative of Serhiy Kropiva, the former deputy head of the Odesa Regional State Administration.

This was reported in a broadcast by the High Anti-Corruption Court.

The investigation established that Didych was Kropiva’s representative. Additionally, Didych’s wife is the sister of “the Chancellor.”

Didych may post bail in the amount of 15 million hryvnias. If the suspect is released on bail, he must surrender his passports for travel abroad, refrain from communicating with certain individuals—including Kravchenko—and wear an electronic ankle monitor.

This decision was issued by Investigating Judge Ihor Strohyi.

Didych is suspected of two particularly serious crimes—participation in a criminal organization and money laundering.

According to the investigation, he concealed the ownership of Kropiva’s property by re-registering it from Kropiva’s close associates to close associates of “comrade” Kutsyi— Kropiva’s driver.

As is known, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) are conducting a large-scale special operation called “Carthage” to expose a criminal group within the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. According to investigators, the organization provided “protection” for a network of fraudulent call centers and was also involved in laundering the proceeds of crime.

Serhiy Kropiva —known as “Chancellor,” the head of the Department of International Cooperation at the Office of the Prosecutor General—is named as the main suspect in Operation “Carthage.” On September 6, he was taken into custodywith bail set at 120 million hryvnias.

The media also reported that NABU and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) conducted searches at the residence ofOleg Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration.

Ірина Глухова