Prosecutor General: More than 400 people have already been interrogated in Nazariy Husakov's case

As part of the investigation into the criminal proceedings regarding fraud during fundraising for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy, more than 400 people have already been interrogated. This was announced during a briefing by the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Ruslan Kravchenko, as reported by a correspondent of UNN.

A large number of victims refused victim status. And the amount is about 2 million hryvnias (of damages – ed.). The fact is that we cannot incriminate him with the entire amount of damages, because 337 victims refused their claims.

According to him, the investigation is still ongoing and evidence is being collected to establish the full picture.

As reported by UNN in the Prosecutor General's Office, a total of more than 400 people were interrogated as part of the criminal investigation. Currently, 88 people have agreed to be recognized as victims – the amount of damages inflicted on them is 2 million UAH.

Regarding those who refused victim status, as reported by the Prosecutor General's Office, some of them did not want to participate in investigative actions, including due to the remoteness of their residence, or referred to a small amount of donations, mercy, and magnanimity towards the person involved in the proceedings. That is why, out of the total amount of 100 million UAH that was transferred to Husakov's accounts, currently 2 million is mentioned in the suspicion.

At the same time, the analysis of transactions, of which there are thousands, is still ongoing – this will allow identifying a wide range of people who suffered from fraudulent actions. As of now, more than 1200 people have been identified who transferred sums exceeding 10 thousand hryvnias to Husakov. Some of these people were either abroad or left Ukraine.

The largest amount of donations transferred to Husakov is 2 million UAH, and the smallest is 100 UAH.

The investigation also established that the collected funds were mostly used not for their intended purpose, but for personal needs, gambling, and cryptocurrency investments.

Recall

31-year-old Lviv resident Nazariy Husakov, who suffers from spinal muscular atrophy, is suspected of fraud after fundraising for treatment. Social media users noticed discrepancies in his reports, traces of Photoshop on screenshots, and suggest that he inflated his need for medication, withdrew money into crypto, and spent it on gambling. 

The Ministry of Internal Affairs conducted checks in the case of possible fraud by Nazariy Husakov. Involved and affected persons are being identified, as well as the whereabouts of Husakov, who left Ukraine on June 13.

Law enforcement officers also opened two criminal proceedings regarding fundraising for the treatment of Lviv resident Nazariy Husakov, who claimed to need an expensive drug.

Police conducted searches in Kyiv and Lviv at the residences of Nazariy Husakov, his relatives, and acquaintances. The investigation is establishing possible facts of misuse of charitable funds for treatment.

On June 27, law enforcement officers detained a close friend of Nazariy Husakov, who tried to escape by car during the searches, intentionally running over a DSR operative. The man has been detained, the car is in the impound lot, and investigative actions in the fraud case are ongoing.