Photo: Transparency International Ukraine/Telegram
Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has refused prosecutors' request to place lawmaker Mykola Tyshchenko in pre-trial detention, instead ordering him released on ₴10 million (about $240,000) bail.
According to the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), Tyshchenko is suspected of soliciting a bribe, laundering illicit funds, and filing false asset declarations.
The court also imposed several restrictions, requiring the MP to:
- appear before investigators, prosecutors and the court upon request;
- remain in Kyiv unless granted permission to travel;
- notify authorities of any change of residence or workplace;
- avoid contact with witnesses in the case;
- surrender all travel documents to the State Migration Service;
- wear an electronic monitoring device.
Tyshchenko has five days to post bail.
During the hearing, the defense argued that the allegations were fabricated and that the prosecution's evidence had been manipulated. Lawyers claimed the MP had been actively fighting fraudulent call centers and denied accusations that he sought bribes.
The defense also rejected allegations that Tyshchenko laundered ₴12.6 million by declaring the money as a gift from his former wife, Alla Baranovska, insisting the funds represented a lawful division of jointly earned assets following their divorce.
Tyshchenko himself denied all wrongdoing, calling the evidence unlawful and politically motivated.
Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) announced the charges on June 29, alleging that Tyshchenko demanded a $1 million bribe in exchange for influencing competitors and protecting the interests of individuals allegedly connected to call-center operations.
The lawmaker is also facing a separate criminal case opened in 2024 over the alleged unlawful detention and assault of a military veteran.
