On the evening of February 16, an HACC investigating judge considered a complaint filed by the defense of former Minister of Justice and Energy Herman Halushchenko, who alleged that his detention had been unlawful. The judge partly granted the complaint and ruled that the actual time of detention should be recorded as 06:00 a.m. on February 15, 2026.  

The court refused the defense request to release the suspect from custody.

Halushchenko is suspected of money laundering and participation in a criminal organization. He was served with a notice of suspicion in the high-profile energy-corruption case known as Operation Midas.