Law enforcement failed to freeze Krupa's accounts

The investigation into the case of Tetyana Krupa, head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Social Protection Service, has encountered difficulties in freezing the foreign assets of the suspect and her family. Despite nearly four months of investigation, accounts in foreign banks remain out of reach for Ukrainian law enforcement.

This is reported by Glavkom, citing court hearing materials.

Transfers abroad and unaccounted cash

According to the prosecution, during the full-scale war, Krupa and her relatives took large sums of cash abroad.

Specifically, in October 2022, Tetyana Krupa failed to declare $600,000 when leaving Ukraine. At the Polish border, she informed customs officers of the presence of this amount, after which the money was deposited in one of the Polish banks.

However, the investigation later established that these funds had been transferred to Switzerland. In November 2024, Ukrainian law enforcement requested the Swiss Federal Justice Office to block the account, but on 7 December they received a response: such an account no longer exists.

"Деньги вывели после получения Крупой статуса подозреваемой" ("The money was withdrawn after Krupa received suspect status"), the prosecutor stated in court.

In addition, the investigation established that members of Krupa's family also transferred large sums:

• Her husband, Volodymyr Krupa, held $1.2 million in a Polish bank.
• Krupa's son and daughter-in-law, as well as her husband, kept over $1 million in Austrian banks.

"К сожалению, следствие вынуждено догонять. Мы пытаемся обнаружить эти средства и добиться их ареста" ("Unfortunately, the investigation is forced to catch up. We are trying to locate these funds and secure their freezing"), the prosecutor noted.

Defence challenges the accusations

Lawyer Taras Poshivanyuk expressed doubts about the prosecution's arguments, pointing out that the physical presence of the owner is required to close an account. However, according to him, Krupa was in custody during this period.

"Мы пытались наладить контакт через юристов швейцарского банка, но нам отказали" ("We tried to establish contact through the lawyers of the Swiss bank, but we were refused"), the defence added. He also suggested that the transfer of money to Switzerland may have taken place as early as the summer of 2024.

Huge cash sums and elite real estate

During the investigation, law enforcement officers discovered significant sums of cash in the Krupa family's apartments:

• In the living room — $106,100, €6,700 and 67,500 hryvnia.
• In a wardrobe safe — $315,900 and €25,400.
• In the husband's bedroom — $253,100, €70,000 and 143,000 hryvnia.
• In another bedroom — $2.5 million, €37,800 and 702,000 hryvnia.

The total amount of cash, the origin of which has not been established, has been frozen by the court.

In addition, $93,000 and €2,000 were seized from Krupa's office, and investigators counted more than 150 real estate objects registered in the name of Krupa and her relatives.

Pre-trial investigation extended

The investigation into the case of Tetyana Krupa's illegal enrichment has been extended until 5 April 2025. Krupa herself has been held in the capital's pre-trial detention centre since 7 October 2024, but she may be released on bail of 260 million hryvnia.

During searches at Krupa's residence and in the apartment of her son, the former head of the regional Pension Fund, documents of patients who had been certified as disabled were found.

The investigation now needs to determine the actual sources of income for the Krupa family and possible schemes of illegal enrichment.