Ukraine's central bank denies ordering banks to block Mudra's bail payments
Ukraine's National Bank said it never instructed banks to automatically refuse bail payments for former presidential office deputy head Iryna Mudra and pledged to act on a court order to review the situation.
Ukraine's National Bank (NBU) said it has received a ruling from the High Anti-Corruption Court requiring it to check whether banks are indeed blocking payments related to a bail deposit for Iryna Mudra, former deputy head of the Presidential Office. The bank confirmed it would review the ruling and respond within its authority and in line with legal requirements.
At the same time, the NBU denied giving banks any instructions or recommendations — neither to automatically refuse such payments nor to mandatorily process them. The bank stressed that decisions on each specific bail payment are made independently by banks based on proper risk analysis in line with legal requirements, examining the source of funds, the payer's financial standing, and their connection to the person for whom bail is being posted.
No automatic grounds for refusal
The NBU noted that the mere fact that funds are being deposited as bail in a criminal proceeding is not automatic grounds for treating the transaction as suspicious or refusing to process it. Similarly, a person's status as a politically exposed person (PEP) is not by itself grounds for refusing service. The bank added it is already analyzing the practice of bail payment transactions and will soon provide banks with additional guidance on properly applying the risk-based approach to assessing such payments.
Background
On August 19, Ukraine's anti-corruption bureau and specialized prosecutor's office conducted searches at Mudra's premises as part of an operation. President Volodymyr Zelensky later dismissed her from her post. On August 25, the court ordered Mudra held in custody with the option of bail set at 20 million hryvnias, though prosecutors had sought 150 million, citing possible assets exceeding 250 million hryvnias. On September 24, the court upheld a complaint from Mudra's defense that banks were refusing to process the bail payment, ordering the National Bank to check the matter within 24 hours.
