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Ukraine Anti-Corruption Court Sets Bail for Yuriy Kisely in Parliament Vote-Buying Probe

Investigators say the scheme used a WhatsApp chat to coordinate paid votes in a hierarchical network.

Overview

  • The High Anti-Corruption Court imposed a bail measure on MP Yuriy Kisely after a closed hearing, with the amount not disclosed in the reports cited.
  • NABU and SAP formally charged five sitting lawmakers over alleged systematic bribery tied to orchestrated votes in the Verkhovna Rada.
  • Those charged are Yuriy Kisely, Yevhen Pivovarov, Ihor Negulevskyi, Olha Savchenko and Mykhailo Laba, according to the agencies’ announcements.
  • Prosecutors cite evidence of organized coordination via a dedicated WhatsApp group and say payments ranged from $2,000 to $20,000, including at least $145,000 to one deputy in November–December 2025.
  • Law enforcement searched parliamentary premises as part of the probe, and a separate lawmaker, Artem Dmytruk, publicly alleged monthly disbursements of about $440,000, a claim not verified by investigators.