VACS Appeal Court Significantly Lowers Bail for Kirilenko’s Wife — Now Free with Nearly 37 Times Less Money
Amid ongoing anti-corruption investigations and legal proceedings, a recent court decision has garnered widespread attention across society and among experts. The Appeal Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court (VACS) ruled to drastically reduce the bail previously set for Alla Kirilenko, wife of the head of the Antimonopoly Committee, Pavlo Kirilenko. Instead of the initial amount of 9 million hryvnias, the bail was reduced by more than 37 times to a modest 242,000 hryvnias. This move was part of an appellate process where the court annulled a ruling by the VACS investigative judge, which had imposed a harsher preventive measure. Prosecutors from SAP initially demanded an increase in bail to 11 million hryvnias, but the appellate court partially supported the defense's position and lowered it. As a result, Alla Kirilenko could be released under a sum close to her income and property declarations, emphasizing her probable innocence or that of the circumstances under investigation. This case is particularly significant against the backdrop of suspicions of illegal enrichment, linked to her alleged involvement in assisting her husband’s illegal enrichment of approximately 72 million hryvnias. Recall that on June 6, VACS chose a bail of 9 million hryvnias for her, while her husband Pavlo Kirilenko faced a new suspicion related to undisclosed property. Prosecutors initially proposed a bail of 36 million hryvnias, but the court significantly lowered it. This case exemplifies the complex dynamics of the fight against corruption and demonstrates that the judiciary can act independently and consider new developments within a case.