Ukraine's Central Bank Denies Ordering Blocked Payments for Ex-Official Under Arrest

Ukraine's National Bank (NBU) on September 24 denied instructing banks to automatically refuse payments related to the bail deposit of Iryna Mudra, the former deputy head of the President's Office, who is under criminal investigation for corruption.

The NBU said it received a ruling from the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) requiring it to verify whether banks had been blocking such payments. In a Facebook statement, the bank clarified: "The National Bank did not provide banks with instructions or recommendations either to automatically refuse transactions for depositing bail with the High Anti-Corruption Court, or to mandatorily report such transactions."

Legal proceedings

The bank said it will respond appropriately and within its legal mandate after reviewing the court ruling. The case involves Iryna Mudra, who served as deputy chief of the Presidential Office under President Zelensky and faces corruption charges. Anti-corruption investigators have sought a bail amount that would allow her release pending trial.