Head of Zelenskyy's office breaks silence on corruption tapes featuring his deputy, saying court should decide

Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, has commented for the first time on reports that his name came up in recordings of conversations involving his deputy Iryna Mudra, who is implicated in the latest case brought by the anti-corruption agencies.

Source: Budanov in a comment to hromadske, a Ukrainian independent media outlet

Quote: "Let the court figure out who heard what where. You know, there's a lot of stuff floating around where things get mentioned."

Details: Hromadske said Budanov admitted to having been in contact with Iryna Mudra after her dismissal. Mudra was forced to step down after she was served with a notice of suspicion.

Quote: "Firstly, dismissal is a legal process. Secondly, on principle, I've never turned my back on people until there are final conclusions. If the court finds her guilty, then that's a different matter."

Background: In recordings from the anti-corruption investigation known as Operation Forrest Gump, Iryna Mudra can be heard referring to "the leadership" while discussing how to arrange and launder bail money for former minister Herman Halushchenko, a defendant in the Midas case. It is not yet known whether the "leadership" meant Kyrylo Budanov, or whether President Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself had issued instructions concerning the bail.

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