by Oleg Sukhov at Kyiv Independent
The corruption probe centered around the state nuclear power company Energoatom is turning into one of Ukraine’s largest political scandals on record.
The alleged ringleader is Timur Mindich, a close associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky and a co-owner of the president’s Kvartal 95 production company. Mindich was tipped off and left the country prior to being charged.
Meanwhile, several other heavyweights were also implicated, according to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
Those implicated include former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko, who served as energy minister earlier this year, and Rustem Umerov, former defense minister and current secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.
The Kyiv Independent explains the case, the roles of those involved, and what it all means.
Who is implicated?
On Nov. 11, the Anti-Corruption Bureau charged eight people with bribery, abuse of office, and illicit enrichment. It also published tapes where the group, using code names and encrypted language, discussed alleged kickbacks and bribes.
The main organizer of the alleged corruption scheme is Mindich, according to the bureau.
In the tapes published by the Anti-Corruption Bureau,…
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