Fraud for 1.3 million: activist Gusakov was served with a notice of suspicion
25 July 00:42
The National Police of Ukraine has announced that Lviv activist Nazariy Husakov has been served with a notice of suspicion in absentia for fraud related to charity fundraising for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). This was reported by the National Police and the Prosecutor General’s Office, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
According to the investigation, 31-year-old Gusakov, who has been diagnosed with SMA, received free provision of the necessary drug under the city program. However, he continued to actively raise funds, allegedly to purchase the same drug, using social networks, Telegram channels and platforms such as PayPal and BuyMeACoffee. Law enforcement officers found that in 2023-2024, Gusakov raised more than UAH 1.3 million, which was partially used for gambling, cryptocurrency investments, and personal needs, rather than for treatment.
The scandal around the activist erupted in June 2025, when volunteers noticed the lack of reports on the use of donations and noticed that Gusakov repeatedly used the same photo of medicines for fundraising. In addition, it turned out that he could place bets in online casinos, particularly on Russian platforms. This aroused suspicions among donors and provoked an investigation.
Gusakov was notified of the suspicion in absentia under Part 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (fraud on an especially large scale), as he is abroad. on July 24, Gusakov’s lawyer reported that her client was in a hospital in Milan, but planned to return to Ukraine after completing his therapy. She noted that Gusakov is aware of the suspicion and does not intend to hide from the investigation.
on July 23, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Ruslan Kravchenko announced that Gusakov was being served with a notice of suspicion on several charges, including fraud and money laundering. In response, Gusakov published a video message in which he spoke about his whereabouts and health.
Law enforcement officers interrogated more than 400 people as witnesses and identified thousands of transactions worth more than UAH 100 million that were made as “charitable donations.”
Currently, the exact number of people who transferred “charitable donations” to the suspect has not yet been established – there are thousands of transactions. It has been established that there are more than 1,200 people who have transferred amounts over UAH 10,000.
At the end of June, the police detained Gusakov’s confidant, whose bank card was used to raise funds.
Currently, the pre-trial investigation is ongoing, and the exact number of donors is still being established.
