Ukrainian lawmaker Danylo Hetmantsev has rejected covert audio recordings published by corruption investigators that allegedly link him to an effort to control Sense Bank.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office released the audio tapes as part of a probe code-named Operation Forest Gump. According to investigators, organizers of a corruption scheme obtained actual control over state-owned JSC Sense Bank in early June, allowing them to use the financial institution for personal interests.
On the published tapes, former deputy presidential chief of staff Iryna Mudra allegedly discussed how the head of a parliamentary committee, believed to be Hetmantsev, sought control over Sense Bank. Mudra reportedly said on the recordings that the group would refrain from attacking Sense Bank if the institution paid them, adding that a person named Davyd approached first, followed separately by another figure thought to be Hetmantsev.
Lawmaker response and polygraph offer
Hetmantsev, who serves as chairman of the Verkhovna Rada committee on finance, tax and customs policy, responded to the leak on his Telegram channel by calling the allegations outright nonsense. He insisted that he had never discussed controlling Sense Bank with Mudra or any other individual.
To eliminate any lingering doubts, Hetmantsev stated that he is fully prepared to undergo a polygraph examination and provide official testimony to anti-corruption authorities. The lawmaker confirmed that he has already submitted a formal application to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau regarding the matter.
Dismissals and linked figures
Anti-corruption agencies did not publicly name the individuals heard on the recordings, but the investigation has touched several high-profile figures in Ukrainian politics and banking. Mudra was dismissed from her position as deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine immediately after the audio files were made public.
The tapes also implicate former lawmaker Maksym Mykytas and Vadym Stolar, a deputy from the former Opposition Platform for Life party. Stolar confirmed that law enforcement officers searched his residence and declared that he is cooperating with investigators. The inquiry further involves Mykola Hladyshenko, head of the supervisory board at Sense Bank, and Oleg Stupak, chairman of the bank management board.
Dispute over gambling payments
The wiretap leak follows a public clash between Hetmantsev and the National Bank of Ukraine over operations at the lender. Hetmantsev previously accused the central bank of turning a blind eye to a widespread illegal gambling payments scheme that he claimed operated inside Sense Bank for years.
In late May, the National Bank of Ukraine rejected those claims, describing them as regular, groundless and manipulative accusations. Central bank officials urged Hetmantsev to stop making public allegations and instead hand over any concrete evidence of banking violations directly to law enforcement authorities.
Money laundering and bail funding
Operation Forest Gump focuses on a wider network accused of laundering illicit funds through commercial transactions. Investigators revealed that 150 million Ukrainian hryvnias in cash was introduced into legal circulation through accounts belonging to shell companies.
The laundered money was used on June 29 to post bail for Herman Halushchenko, a former minister of energy and justice who faces charges of money laundering and participating in a criminal organization. Halushchenko remains a key suspect in a separate corruption investigation known as the Midas case.
