The 'Forrest Gump' and 'Themis' Cases
During a session of the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) regarding the preventive measure for Maksym Mykytas, the prosecutor of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) named 13 people who are involved in the 'Forrest Gump' and 'Themis' cases. Among those named are former and current officials, members of parliament, representatives of Sens Bank, as well as people connected to Mykytas.
The special operation 'Forrest Gump', conducted on August 20, 2026, by detectives of the NABU and SAP, aimed to expose a criminal organization. It relates to the origin of 150 million hryvnias, which were allegedly deposited as bail for former minister Herman Halushchenko, who is involved in the 'Mindych case.' As part of this operation, the prosecutor named 13 individuals, including:
- Iryna Mudra
- Viktor Dubovyk
- Olena Ferens
- Maksym Mykytas
- Vadym Stolar
- Vasily Astion
- Mykola Hladysheko
- Oleg Stupak
- Ludmyla Snihur
- Valentyn Yelizarov
- Mykyta Tarkovskyi
- Yehor Merkulov
- Olexandr Ostapenko
Iryna Mudra was previously the deputy head of the Office of the President, Viktor Dubovyk held the position of general director of the Directorate for Legal Policy of the Office of the President, and Olena Ferens is the deputy minister of justice. Maksym Mykytas, a former Member of Parliament, is under consideration by the HACC regarding a preventive measure. Vadym Stolar is a current Member of Parliament of Ukraine who was elected to the Verkhovna Rada from the banned party 'Opposition Platform — For Life.' Businessman Vasily Astion was previously a deputy of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council.
Among the representatives of the state-owned Sens Bank involved in the case are Mykola Hladysheko, the suspended head of the bank's supervisory board, Oleg Stupak — the chairman of the management board, and Ludmyla Snihur — the head of the department. It was also noted that Valentyn Yelizarov is Mykytas's subordinate and the head of 'Metrobud LLC', while Yehor Merkulov and Olexandr Ostapenko are linked to Mykytas as a driver and a bodyguard, respectively.
During investigative actions, NABU detectives conducted searches at the offices of MP Vadym Stolar, the deputy head of the Office of the President Iryna Mudra, and the office of the Supervisory Board of Sens Bank, where they also searched its head, Mykola Hladysheko. During the searches, a document with a crisis communication plan regarding the work of the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Verkhovna Rada was discovered, and a fragment of an audio recording of conversations involving potential participants in the corruption scheme was also published.
The 'Themis' Operation
The 'Themis' operation aims to expose a criminal organization involved in raiding in Kyiv, specifically the seizure of expensive real estate and business assets through illegal control over business entities. According to information, members of this organization engaged hackers to access state registries and forge documents and court decisions.
Iryna Mudra expressed her intention to defend her name legally: 'I will defend my name legally.' — Iryna Mudra
In conclusion, it can be noted that the investigation into the 'Forrest Gump' and 'Themis' cases is ongoing, and new details may emerge during the investigation.
The 'Forrest Gump' and 'Themis' cases indicate deep corruption ties that encompass various levels of power and business in Ukraine. The documents and audio recordings uncovered during the searches may become important evidence in further investigations. The continuation of the investigation promises to reveal new aspects of the activities of this criminal organization, which will have a significant impact on anti-corruption efforts in the country.
As the investigation into the 'Forrest Gump' and 'Themis' cases unfolds, it is crucial to understand the broader implications of the recent operations conducted by NABU. The involvement of high-profile figures raises significant questions about accountability and governance in Ukraine. For more details on the ongoing actions against key individuals, including MP Stolar and the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, you can read further here.