The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) revealed details of the large-scale case, codenamed Operation „Forrest Gump“. The investigation is directed against a criminal organization, in which MPs and former high-ranking officials from the Office of the President are allegedly involved.
The scheme involves the illegal legalization of over 150 million hryvnias in cash through accounts of shell companies in the state-owned “Sense Bank“. The funds were used to pay bail for detainees in another landmark case – “Midas“. The Supreme Anti-Corruption Court (SAC) has already imposed a permanent measure of “detention in custody” with an alternative of large cash guarantees for key figures in the trial, including the famous Kiev real estate developer Maksym Mikitas and the director of legal affairs of the President's Office, BBC and RBC-Ukraine report.
Zelensky appoints 16 anti-corruption judges under pressure from Brussels
To prevent the real danger of blocking vital financial assistance from the European Union, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed two key decrees (No. 782/2026 and No. 783/2026). They appoint 11 judges to the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) and 5 judges to its Appellate Chamber.
The staffing of the anti-corruption courts was a critical indicator under the Ukraine Facility. Ukraine delayed this decision for more than a year, with the deadline for implementation being mid-September. With these quick appointments, Kiev successfully unblocked the next tranche of EU macro-financial support, amounting to between 250 and 300 million euros, Interfax Ukraine reports.
The “Andriy Ermak“ case
While the judiciary is being reformed, NABU has found itself at the center of another unusual case. The Bureau has received official letters from the commanders of 12 military units (including elite airborne assault and mechanized brigades). In them, the officers demand that the former head of the President's Office Andriy Ermak be allowed to visit the places of their deployment. Ermak, who is under investigation with a restraining order and an electronic bracelet, heads the humanitarian project “Advokat+“. The commanders point out that the personnel are in dire need of his legal consultations on family and inheritance cases directly in the field, Liga.netreports.