Operations "Forrest Gump" and "Themis": three suspects remanded in custody

The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) imposed preventive measures on three suspects in a case concerning the activities of a criminal organization that, according to investigators, included members of parliament, officials of the Office of the President, and other individuals. The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office reported this, UNN reports.

The court remanded all three in custody, but they may be released from the pretrial detention center after bail is posted. 

Who was remanded in custody

The court ordered former Member of Parliament Maksym Mykytas to be held in custody with the possibility of posting bail of UAH 30 million.

Valentyn Yelizarov, director of Metrobud (which, according to the investigation, was effectively controlled by the former MP), was granted bail of UAH 20 million. Law enforcement officials call him former parliamentarian Mykytas's "right-hand man." 

Another suspect is the Director General for Legal Affairs of the Office of the President. He was also remanded in custody, and bail was set at UAH 7 million.

 If the suspects or other individuals post the amounts set by the court, they will be able to leave custody, but will remain subject to the procedural obligations imposed by the court.

Will the decision be appealed?

The SAPO reported that it would decide whether to appeal the amount of bail for the suspects after receiving and studying the full texts of the court decisions.

What you should know about the case

According to investigators, the case concerns a criminal organization that operated for several years. Law enforcement officials claim that it may have included current and former Members of Parliament of Ukraine, senior officials of the Office of the President, and other individuals.

Law enforcement officials are investigating certain episodes of this case as part of the "Forrest Gump" and "Themis" operations.

Context 

Mykytas is one of the figures in the case being investigated by NABU and SAPO as part of the special operation "Forrest Gump." According to investigators, he may have been involved, together with other individuals, in the activities of a criminal organization engaged in corporate raiding and the legalization of funds.

One episode of the proceedings concerns UAH 150 million which, according to investigators, was to be legalized through controlled companies and used to post bail for one of the figures in another anti-corruption investigation—the "Midas" operation.

The investigative materials state that in June 2026, members of the alleged criminal organization received UAH 150 million in cash, which they planned to channel through a number of companies to make it appear to be funds of legal origin. The money was subsequently to be used as bail. According to anti-corruption organizations, this concerned bail for former Minister of Energy and Justice Herman Halushchenko.

In addition, NABU and SAPO link the group's activities to the alleged corporate raiding of two enterprises in autumn 2025. Law enforcement officials estimate the value of their assets at approximately UAH 248 million. Investigators are also examining an attempt to seize other real estate in Kyiv worth more than UAH 200 million.

According to NABU, forged court decisions and documents, interference with the electronic accounts of state registrars, and the registration of corporate rights in the names of nominal owners may have been used in carrying out the schemes.

Mykytas's defense denies the criminal nature of the actions attributed to him. The lawyers claimed that the actions concerning certain enterprises were aimed at restoring the businessman's property rights, which, in their version, had previously been violated.

The pretrial investigation is ongoing.