Ukrainian investigators on Tuesday accused Timur Mindich, a close ally and longtime business associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky, of orchestrating a $100 million corruption scheme in the energy sector. The scandal has escalated a major standoff over graft in the war-torn country.
Ukrainian investigators on Tuesday accused a close ally of PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyof orchestrating a$100 million corruption scheme, as a major standoff over graft in the war-torn country escalates.
The accusations against Timur Mindich are the latest episode in a sweeping corruption scandal involving claims of massive embezzlement from the energy sector, even as the countrys infrastructure is battered byRussianattacks.
Mindich co-owns the media production company Kvartal 95, founded by Zelensky, who was a star comedian before running for office.
Mindich exercised control over the accumulation, distribution, and legalisation of money obtained through criminal means in the energy sector of Ukraine, a prosecutor from the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office (SAPO) said.
The suspect used friendly relations with the president of Ukraine in his criminal activity, the prosecutor added during a pre-trial hearing for another man accused of involvement in the scheme.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) said Monday it had uncovered a graft scheme in the energy sector involving $100 million of laundered funds.
Detectives have detained five individuals and notified seven members of the organisation of suspicion, NABU said in a statement later on Tuesday, meaning charges were brought against the seven.
Among them was a businessman the head of the criminal organisation, the bureau added, without naming him an apparent reference to Mindich, who was earlier identified by prosecutors as the mastermind of the scheme.
SAPO also accused Justice Minister German Galushchenko, previously an energy minister for four years, of receiving personal benefits from Mindich in exchange for control over the money flows in the energy sector.
Ukraines justice ministry said Galushchenko was cooperating with investigators and that he would refrain from further comments.
AFP reached out to Kvartal 95 outside business hours for Mindichs reaction to the accusations but received no immediate response.
NABU carried out mass raids following a 15-month investigation into the energy sector, which has been under regular attack since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The head of NABUs investigating team, Oleksandr Abakumov, told Ukrainian state TV that Mindich had left the country shortly before the raids.
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Energy under attack
Accusations of embezzlement from the energy industry at a time of relentless attacks and widespread power shortages have stoked fresh public anger.
Moscow has escalated attacks on Ukraines energy sector ahead of the wars fourth winter launching swarms of drones along with missiles.
They have hit generation facilities as well as power transmission and distribution systems at the same time, complicating repair efforts.
After the raids on Monday, Zelensky said all actions against corruption were very necessary, encouraging officials to cooperate with the anti-corruption bodies. He did not immediately comment on the charges against Mindich.
TheUkrainian governmenton Tuesday sacked the supervisory board of Energoatom the statenuclear energyoperator which was a cornerstone of the graft scheme, according to investigators. This, along with an urgent state-led audit, was described by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko as the first decisions for the relaunch of Energoatom.
Eradicating systemic corruption is one of the top requirements for Ukraines application for EU membership and any hurdles to it could slow down the accession process.
Zelensky faced a massive backlash from Ukrainians and Brussels over the summer when he tried to bring the two independent anti-corruption bodies, NABU and SAPO, under government control.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Originally published on France24
