During a corruption probe at Ukraine’s state nuclear company Energoatom, investigators accused President Volodymyr Zelenskyj’s confidants of widespread corruption. corruption. Timur Mindich “decided to illegally enrich himself by organizing crimes in various sectors of the Ukrainian economy,” a representative of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (Sapo) told the court. The suspect took advantage of “friendly relations with the President of Ukraine for his criminal activities.”
Minditsch is a co-owner of the TV production company Kwartal 95, which Zelenskyj co-founded in the early 2000s.
The case relates to alleged bribes that were said to have flowed into the construction of equipment to protect energy plants against Russian air attacks. According to prosecutors, Minditsch exercised control over the “accumulation, distribution and legalization of funds” obtained through “criminal actions in Ukraine’s energy sector.” The head of the National Anti-Corruption Agency’s (NABU) investigative team, Oleksandr Abakumov, said on state television that Minditsch left the country shortly before the raid.
The Minister of Justice is said to have been bribed
According to Sapo, Ukrainian Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko, who previously served as Minister of Energy, was also involved in the case. Authorities accused him of receiving “personal benefits” from Minditsch – in exchange for control over money flows in the energy sector.
On Monday, Nabu carried out raids in the energy sector and, according to his own statements, exposed a “system of large-scale corruption.” This was preceded by a 15-month investigation. Based on this, “around 100 million dollars” (86 million euros) flowed into money laundering transactions.
Anti-corruption raid on Ukraine following the controversy surrounding the role of anti-corruption investigators several months ago. In July, the Ukrainian government legally placed Sapo and Nabu under the jurisdiction of the Prosecutor General’s Office, sparking major protests. As a result of protests and criticism from the EU, the Ukrainian president finally signed a law restoring the independence of the authorities.
Despite reforms, Ukraine is still considered one of the countries in Europe most vulnerable to corruption. Last month, the former head of Ukraine’s state power grid, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, was arrested on embezzlement charges. The officer, who has been released on bail, rejected the allegations as politically motivated.
