On November 5, 2026, the High Anti-Corruption Court ordered a preventive measure for Volodymyr Tsenov, First Deputy Head of the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police of Ukraine. This was reported by a UNN journalist from the courtroom.
Details
This involves detention for a period of 60 days with bail set at UAH 15 million. At the same time, it should be noted that the suspect’s defense attorney, Andrii Shkoliar, requested house arrest and bail in the amount of UAH 998,400. Meanwhile, the prosecution insisted on detention and bail of UAH 20 million. In response, the lawyer noted that such an amount would push his client, Volodymyr Tsenov, "to the brink of survival."
What was revealed in the courtroom
During the court hearing at which the preventive measure for Tsenov was being considered, it became known that investigators found USD 45,000 during searches of his property. As the state prosecutor explained, the organizers of the criminal group, nicknamed "Kryminal" and "Meksykanets," used him to cover up the activities of call centers. The organizers gave Tsenov addresses, and he did not send employees of his department there.
The suspects carried out all transactions using crypto wallets that existed for only a few days at a time. According to preliminary data, Tsenov managed to receive USD 220,000 through them for his "services." The prosecutor clarified that the money was not transferred only to the suspect himself. He was supposed to use it to pay for similar "services" provided by third parties from the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the National Police.
Context
The day before, on November 4, it became known that Volodymyr Tsenov had been detained as part of the large-scale anti-corruption operation "Carthage." According to media reports, he is the person featured in recordings released by the NABU under the pseudonym "Price." According to the investigation, one of the heads of the National Police’s Strategic Investigations Department provided cover for the activities of fraudulent call centers by law enforcement agencies.
On November 5, the NABU and SAPO announced suspicion against five members of a criminal organization, including a high-ranking National Police official. He is charged with participation in a criminal organization and receiving an unlawful benefit under Part 3 of Article 255 and Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Recall
The prosecutor asked that detention be imposed on Tsenov as a preventive measure. The reason cited was the suspect’s financial and technical capabilities to hide from the investigation. In addition, the prosecution was concerned that Tsenov could influence other individuals involved in the case and investigative authorities in order to distort information in the case.