NABU reported a scheme to launder UAH 150 million for bail in the 'Midas' case
Searches were carried out at an official of the Office of the President and a member of parliament
National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced the uncovering of a scheme to legalize 150 million hryvnias. According to the investigation, these funds may have had a criminal origin and were later planned to be used to pay bail for one of the defendants in the «Midas» case.
NABU reported a special operation «Forrest Gump», which concerns the activities of a criminal organization. According to the investigation, current and former members of parliament, high-ranking officials of the Office of the President, as well as heads of state institutions may have been involved.
The detectives claim that the cash was routed through the accounts of controlled companies. A state bank may also have been used to implement the scheme. The organizer, according to the investigation, controlled all stages of the operation.
NABU does not name the person for whom the bail was allegedly paid. At the same time, the audio recordings released by the anti-corruption agencies mention the name «Herman». The «Midas» case involves the former energy minister and now justice minister Herman Halushchenko. In June the court-ordered bail of 150 million hryvnias was posted for him.
The alleged criminal organization, among others, may have included the deputy head of the Office of the President, a former member of parliament, the chairman of a state bank’s management board and the chairman of its supervisory board.
According to the investigation, in early June participants in the scheme gained de facto control over the state-owned Sense Bank, after which they could use the institution for their own interests.
During the searches, NABU detectives and SAP prosecutors found a document with a crisis communications plan regarding the activities of the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Verkhovna Rada. It contained communication steps and messages for responding to the public situation surrounding the commission’s work. NABU reported this.
On the morning of 19 August investigative actions were carried out at the deputy head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra. She has held this position since March 2024. Searches also took place at MP Vadym Stolar. He confirmed the investigative actions at his house and said he is cooperating with the investigation.
Around 10:30 NABU and SAP officers arrived at Sense Bank. Witnesses reported this.
What is known about the «Midas» case
Earlier in the case linked to large-scale corruption in the energy sector, searches were conducted at the businessman and co-owner of the «Kvartal 95» studio, Timur Mindich. According to Ukrainska Pravda, that same day he left the territory of Ukraine — a few hours before the searches began. A source told the publication that the businessman “fled the country at night.”
NABU and SAP said the investigation into energy corruption schemes lasted 15 months. As part of it, more than 70 searches were carried out and over 1000 hours of audio recordings were collected. Investigators visited, among others, the former energy minister and current justice minister Herman Halushchenko, as well as the state enterprise «Energoatom».
On the recordings released by NABU, officials with the call signs «Tenor», «Rocket» and «Carlson» were mentioned. According to «RBC-Ukraine», these likely referred to:
- Ihor Myroniuk — former adviser to the energy minister, call sign «Rocket»;
- Dmytro Basov — executive director for physical protection and security at Energoatom, a former employee of the Prosecutor General’s Office, call sign «Tenor»;
- Timur Mindich — businessman and, according to the investigation, the leader of the organization, call sign «Carlson»;
- Herman Halushchenko — former energy minister, now justice minister, call sign «Professor».
The investigation also established that illegally obtained funds may have been laundered in an office in central Kyiv. It belongs to the family of MP Andrii Derkach, who is currently a politician in Russia.
In the fourth part of the released investigation, NABU noted that participants in the energy scheme passed funds to a former vice prime minister. In documents and case materials he was called “Che Guevara.” It later became known that this was the former minister of national unity Oleksiy Chernyshov. He was charged with illicit enrichment.
At the same time, «Schemes» (Radio Liberty) published the names of all the people NABU notified of suspicion as part of the large-scale investigation into corruption in the energy sector. Herman Halushchenko was not on that list. However, on 12 November it became known that he had been removed from his post after a NABU investigation related to corruption schemes at «Energoatom».
Energoatom stated that the exposure of corruption did not affect the stability of the enterprise’s operations.
During a forum of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, which took place in Kyiv on 14 November, NABU director Semen Kryvonos said that all law enforcement agencies had information about the schemes at «Energoatom» but did not react to it. SAP head Oleksandr Klymenko then said that meetings were held in Ukraine at which law enforcement officers were instructed to pursue NABU detectives and SAP prosecutors.
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