The High Anti-Corruption Court arrested the former deputy dean of the Odesa Law Academy in connection with the "Carthage" case

The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has imposed a preventive measure on Yelyzaveta Ivakhnenko, a defendant in the “Carthage” case being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). According to law enforcement officials, she is linked to a participant in a scheme to cover up the operations of fraudulent call centers.

The Center for Public Investigationsexamined the details of the hearing at the High Anti-Corruption Court.

During the hearing, the prosecutor stated that Serhiy Kropiva, the former deputy head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, alongwith other defendants—including Ivakhnenko—may have laundered over 21.6 million hryvnias, which, according to the investigation, were obtained through criminal means. According to the prosecution, part of these funds may have been used to purchase apartments in Kyiv and Odesa.

The prosecution also cited the use of bank accounts belonging to Ivakhnenko, Kropiva, and their relatives, as well as sole proprietorships and cryptocurrency. Among the evidence, the prosecutor cited recordings of conversations which, in his opinion, may indicate attempts to launder the funds through business activities and digital assets.

Separately, the prosecution raised concerns about the risk of evidence being destroyed or concealed. The prosecutor cited conversations held on the eve of the searches in which, he said, Ivakhnenko and others discussed documents and the erasure of phone data.

The defense objected to the arrest. The attorney called the 50 million hryvnia bail proposed by the prosecution effectively non-negotiable and stated that it was not commensurate with the financial circumstances of the 24-year-old Ivakhnenko. The defense also questioned the sufficiency and admissibility of the evidence, particularly the recordings of covert investigative activities.

Ivakhnenko herself did not admit to any involvement in a criminal organization. She also denied having any financial ties to Kropiva and claimed that the conversations cited by the prosecutor could have been taken out of context.

If bail is granted, Ivakhnenko must wear an electronic ankle monitor, surrender her passports for travel abroad, and refrain from communicating with witnesses and other individuals involved in the case. 

As reportedby Intent, on September 6, the High Anti-Corruption Court remanded Serhiy Kropiva, the former deputy head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, into custody, setting bail at 120 million hryvnias as an alternative. 

Анна Літман