Zelensky says anti-corruption agencies have 'no questions' for him amid latest corruption scandal

President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the recent corruption scandal involving a top official in his administration, saying that anti-corruption agencies "have no questions" for him.

National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) said on Aug. 19 published recordings allegedly implicating Iryna Mudra, then-deputy head of the President's Office, as well as other officials, in money laundering. Separate recordings allegedly link Mudra to a group involved in the illegal seizure of real estate.

The suspects are accused of laundering Hr 150 million ($3.4 million) and transferring the funds through Sense Bank to post bail for former Justice and Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko. Halushchenko has been charged with money laundering and organized crime in a separate case centered around state nuclear power monopoly Energoatom — the largest corruption investigation of Zelensky's tenure.

According to Zelensky, he has no further details, and the information that was made public was sufficient to dismiss Mudra.

"Let the law enforcement and anti-corruption systems do their work, and do it independently — what is there for me to comment on? We have to react," Zelensky told journalists on Aug. 22.

"I have no questions from the heads of the anti-corruption agencies. They understand perfectly well that I'm not involved in anything like that. And that is important to me."

A sitting president is immune from prosecution under Ukrainian law.

On the tapes, Mudra said that someone told her that "corruption shouldn't be fought — it should be controlled." The person's name is partially beeped out, but you can hear the first letter — B. This prompted speculation that Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the President's Office and Mudra's ex-boss, may have been involved.

Speaking about the charges against Mudra on Aug. 23, Budanov said that "it’s all up to the court."

Zelensky has faced a string of corruption scandals since the fall, with the President's Office typically remaining tight-lipped on the topic.

In May, ex-President Office Head Andriy Yermak was charged with money laundering tied to the construction of a luxury cottage complex — four expensive houses outside Kyiv, each roughly 1,000 square meters in size.

Investigators said three houses were being built for three of the president's allies — Yermak, businessman Timur Mindich, and former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov. Leaked tapes published by journalists suggest a fourth house may have been intended for "Vova," a short form of Volodymyr.

The President's Office declined to comment on the investigation.