MOSCOW: The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) have exec...
MOSCOW: The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) have executed a large-scale operation, dubbed Midas, uncovering large-scale corruption in the energy sector.
They said the SBU Security Service, the prosecutor's office, high-ranking government officials and businessmen, including Timur Mindich, co-owner of Kvartal 95, aka Vladimir Zelensky's "wallet" participated in the corruption schemes.
TASS has compiled the key facts about the widening scandal.
The beginning of the corruption scandal
- On November 10, the NABU and SAPO launched a large-scale operation to uncover a major corruption scheme in the energy sector.
- The agencies raided the residence of co-owner of the Kvartal 95 company Timur Mindich, who some call Zelensky's "wallet."
- Searches were also conducted at the home of former Energy Minister and current Justice Minister German Galushchenko, as well as at Energoatom, which manages three nuclear power stations.
- According to the investigation, the scheme helped launder about $100 million.
Investigation
- On November 10, NABU began publishing the first fragments of wiretapped conversations in Mindich's apartment, in which corruption schemes were discussed.
- In the tapes, the defendants discussed conversations with Zelensky, said Sergey Savitsky, SAPO prosecutor.
- Also, Mindich's accomplices discussed the transfer of millions of dollars for the construction of a house in Switzerland.
- There are 1,000 hours of audio recordings in total.
- Zelensky's office is trying to block Telegram channels amid the scandal, said Verkhovna Rada deputy Alexey Goncharenko (listed in Russia as a terrorist and extremist).
Charges and arrests
- On November 11, NABU officially filed charges against the participants of the scheme.
- The government prematurely terminated the powers of the Supervisory Board of Energoatom.
- On November 12, Zelensky demanded the resignation of Galushchenko and Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk.
- Zelensky said decrees on sanctions against two defendants in the corruption case were in the pipeline.
- Zelensky instructed Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defense Ministry (listed in Russia as a terrorist and extremist), to take "several measures in the interests of Ukraine."
- The Ukrainian media reported that charges had been filed against Mindich, Igor Mironyuk, a former adviser to the energy minister, Dmitry Basov, executive director for safety at Energoatom, businessmen Alexander Zukerman and Igor Fursenko, Lesya Ustimenko and Lyudmila Zorina.
- Ex-Minister of Defense, Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Galushchenko may be the next to be brought up on corruption charges.
- Umerov assisted Mindich in purchasing defective bulletproof vests for the army, Ukrainian journalist Tatyana Nikolayenko reported.
- The prosecutor's office also believes that Mindich influenced Umerov, interfering in the defense of Ukraine.
Arrests
- Five people have been detained, NABU said.
- The Kiev court has placed Mironyuk and Basov under arrest.
- According to the investigation, Mironyuk was Mindich’s confidant and carried out his orders, while Basov was responsible for blocking payments to Energoatom’s contractors to demand bribes later.
- Mironyuk and Basov tried to smash their phones during the searches.
Escapes from Ukraine
- Mindich left Ukraine using his passport a few hours before the start of the searches.
- Former Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Chernyshov is trying to leave Ukraine amid a corruption scandal.
- Sergey Pushkar, an official involved in the case, has also left the country.
- Umerov, who is rumored to be a target of indictment, traveled to Istanbul to participate in an unannounced prisoner exchange meeting.
Effects
- Private sponsors refused to buy a transformer for the Sumy Region because of the Mindich case, said Sergey Nagornyak, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Energy Committee.
- Zuckerman and other participants in Mindich's scheme were added to the database of the extremist Mirotvorets website.
- Kiev may lose the support of the West over this scandal, said Irina Gerashchenko, co-chair of the European Solidarity faction in the Verkhovna Rada.
- Leader of France's Patriots party Florian Philippot demanded to stop helping Kiev after the corruption scandal.
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