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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Lawyer and veteran Masi Nayem explained why the law firm he founded, Miller, took on the defense of former Deputy Head of the Office of the President Iryna Mudra, who is a subject of investigations by anti-corruption agencies. Mudra was detained in a case about the legalization of 150 million UAH that were used as bail for former minister Herman Halushchenko. According to Nayem, defending a person does not mean acknowledging their innocence. The lawyer also said he is resigning from the supervisory board of volunteer Serhii Sternenko’s foundation so as not to create reputational risks for the foundation because of his professional choice.
The lawyer set out his position in a post on Facebook. He acknowledged that the firm consciously took the defense of Mudra and emphasized that responsibility for that decision rests with him and his colleagues.
"The argument I hear is entirely understandable. If for many years you publicly speak out against corruption... can you at the same time professionally defend a person whom those same agencies have notified of suspicion? I understand that logic, but I disagree with that conclusion," wrote lawyer Masi Nayem.
According to Nayem, the rule of law only makes sense when the rules do not change depending on a person’s surname, position, or the level of public animosity toward them. The lawyer noted that over fourteen years of his firm’s work they have had clients he personally would not have invited to dinner, but that does not deprive them of the right to a defense.
"When the state suspects someone of a crime, it must prove its version with proper evidence and in a lawful way. The defense questions that evidence, checks it, and does not allow the procedure to be simplified just because the case is high-profile," said lawyer Masi Nayem.
He added that guilt is ultimately determined by the court, and he sees no reason to substitute that decision with a lawyer’s statement, the investigative position, or public outrage. At the same time, Nayem stressed that his withdrawal from the supervisory board of Sternenko’s foundation does not mean admitting that Miller was wrong or that his attitude toward the foundation has changed.
"Sternenko’s foundation had nothing to do with the choice of client and should not be put in a position where it has to explain, defend, or in any way be accountable for my legal practice," explained lawyer Masi Nayem.
The case unfolds over the bail for Halushchenko
Mudra is a subject in two cases by NABU and SAPO — "Forrest Gump" and "Femida." The first concerns possible money laundering to pay 150 million UAH in bail for former Minister of Energy and Justice Herman Halushchenko, who is suspected in the "Midas" case about corruption in the energy sector. The investigation claims the funds were laundered through the state-owned Sense Bank. The second case concerns an alleged scheme to raid real estate and other assets.
Earlier, on 21 August, the High Anti-Corruption Court could not determine a preventive measure for Mudra and decided to do so within three days. The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office is requesting arrest or 150 million UAH in bail for the former official.
Earlier, Informator reported that a SAPO prosecutor named the full list of persons involved in the case about the legalization of funds for Halushchenko’s bail, among whom, besides Mudra, are current MP Vadym Stolar, former MP Maksym Mykytas, and the management of state-owned Sense Bank. We also wrote that Mykytas was ordered to be held in custody with the alternative of posting 30 million UAH bail, and the investigation established that he and Mudra were in the same residence during the searches.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Наєм пояснив, чому його компанія захищає Мудру у справі "Форест Гамп"". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Informator.
