Ukrainian MP Stolar returns to country after court summons, denies fleeing
Ukrainian lawmaker Vadym Stolar, subject to a preventive measure imposed by a court on September 11 amid a corruption investigation, said he voluntarily returned to Ukraine and does not intend to hide.
Ukrainian MP Vadym Stolar, a suspect in the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) investigation known as "Femida," said he personally and voluntarily arrived in Ukraine on September 11 to attend a court hearing on the application of a preventive measure against him.
Writing on Facebook, Stolar said his arrival best demonstrates his attitude toward the proceedings. He stressed he has no intention of hiding, evading the investigation, or obstructing the criminal case in any way, and expressed confidence that a fair and objective investigation would show no signs of a criminal offense in his actions.
Charges and potential penalties
Stolar was notified in absentia of suspicion on August 20. He is accused of offenses under parts of five different articles of the criminal code, including creating a criminal organization, unlawful seizure of property, document forgery, and unauthorized interference with information systems. Creating a criminal organization carries a penalty of 7 to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property, while unauthorized interference with information systems carries 10 to 15 years, since the offense was committed during martial law.
On September 11, the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) imposed a preventive measure on Stolar: bail of 300 million hryvnias without detention.
Broader investigation
NABU and SAP recently exposed a scheme in which suspects in the "Forrest Gump" operation used interference with the Justice Ministry's networks to seize real estate and other assets through raiding. The same criminal group allegedly organized the legalization of funds used to pay bail for former energy and justice minister Herman Halushchenko, using the state-owned Sense Bank. A SAP prosecutor named several suspects linked to the "Forrest Gump" and "Femida" cases, including former deputy head of the President's Office Iryna Mudra, former MP Maksym Mykytas, and sitting MP Vadym Stolar.
