KYIV -- A Kyiv court has released on bail an influential former lawmaker suspected of embezzlement.
The April 22 ruling follows the detention two days earlier of Mykola Martynenko, an ally of former Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, after the National Anticorruption Bureau announced it was preparing to file charges against him.
Investigators had sought a court order to place Martynenko, a former chairman of the Ukrainian parliament's fuel and energy committee, in pretrial custody.
But the district court judge hearing the matter ruled in favor of Martynenko's release on bail.
The court said senior officials and several members of parliament had pledged to ensure that Martynenko would comply with his obligations as a suspect in the case.
The court also ordered Martynenko to remain in Kyiv.
Martynenko is the second prominent political figure to have been detained in less than three months in Ukraine, whose government has faced pressure from its own citizens, Western governments, and the International Monetary Fund to crack down on corruption.
Prominent Ukrainian Politician Released On Bail In Corruption Probe
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
What's Stopping NATO Countries From Boosting Defense Spending?
2The Kremlin Shrugs At Trump's New Sanctions Threat. But Should Putin Be Worried?
3Trump Warns Putin For Third Time To End 'Ridiculous' Ukraine War
4Moscow's War On Ukraine: Where's The Russian Outrage?
5Trump Says Putin ‘Destroying’ Russia By Failing To Seek Ukraine Peace Deal
6Could Trump Cut A Deal With Putin And Leave Ukraine In The Cold?
7Inside Russia, A Snapshot Into Hopes, Fears, And Gripes Of A Society At War
8Under Fire In Pokrovsk: Ukrainian City Burns As Attack Drones Stalk Residents
9Ukraine Live Briefing: Kyiv Targets Over A Dozen Russian Regions
10Russian Refinery In Flames After Largest Ukrainian Air Attack This Year
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
